BX  8495    .T39  D38  1885 
Davies,  E.   b.  1830. 
The  Bishop  of  Africa 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2014 


https://archive.org/details/bishopofafricaorOOdavi 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


WORKS  OF  REV.  E.  DA  VIES. 

THE  GIFT  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST,  and  Select 
Sermons.  Price,  enamel  paper  covers,  5U  cents;  cloth,  80  cts. 
"  It  is  Just  the  book  for  the  masses,  and  cannot  fail  to  do  good." 

—/Sishoj)  n.  S.  Faster. 

THE  BELIEVER'S  HANDBOOK  ON  HOI.INESS.  Con- 
taining eiglit  Lectures.  l'2uio.  Price,  enamel  paper,  25  cts.; 
cloth,  40  cents. 

"  This  is  truly  an  excellentworTc.  Most  heartily  do  we  commend 
it  to  all."— J»/?  s.  Phebe  Palmer. 

'Vim  GIFT  OF  THE  HOLY  GHOST  AND  BELIEV- 
P:R'S  HANDBOOK.   In  One  volume.   Cloth,  $1. 

THE  BOY  PREACHER,  OR  The  Life  and  Labors  of 
KEV.  Thomas  Hakrison.  Fine  Steel  Portrait.  Price,  $1, 
Enlarged  Edition. 

"  A  womlerful  record  of  God's  marvellous  works." 

GEMS  AND  PEARLS,  FOi;  1'ahents  and  Children. 

For  Family  Reading  iinil  Subliatli  Schools.  Fine  Steel  En- 
graving.   Price  75  cents. 

"  Rev.  E  Davies  has  collected  a  goodly  number  of  Gems  and 
Pearls.  Many  of  them  are  severally  worth  the  price  of  the  hook. 
lle:id  it."—  Dr.  Fowler,  in  New  York  Christian  Advocate. 

THE  LAW  OF  HOLINESS.  AN  Exposition  op  the 
Ten  Commandments.  Showing  the  relation  of  the  Deca- 
logue to  the  G<>spel  and  to  the  Moral  Universe.  Large  ]6nio. 
Price  75  cents. 

"  It  is  clear,  sharp,  and  discriminating.  It  gives  a  practical 
application  of  the  moral  law  to  the  duties  of  Christian  life,  and 
is  a  fresh  presentation  of  this  important  subject."  —  Rev.  J.  A. 

Wod. 

DAILY  FOOD  FOR  CHRISTIAN  WORKERS.  Price 
15 cents;  gilt  edges,  20  cents;  piper,  10  cents. 
It  is  adapted  to  the  highest  experiences  of  Christian  life. 
CONTRAST  BETWEEN  CHRISTIANITY  AND  IN- 
FIDELITY.  A  Book  of  Reference  for  Ministers  and  Christian 
Workers.   Price,  paper,  20  cents;  cloth,  40 cents. 
"  This  book  is  worthy  of  a  place  in  ai.y  library."  —  Lutheran  Ob- 
server. 

SELECTIONS  FROM  HARRIS'  MAMMON.    Aii  in- 

vnluable  hook.    Price  10  cents. 
MEMOIRS  AND  JOURNAL  OF  MRS.  HESTER  ANN 

KOGERS.  Condensed  and  combined.  Price,  cloth,  50  cents. 
LIFE   OF  PRANCES    RIDLEY  HAVERGAL.  With 

choice  selections  from  her  writings.    Price  only  •'iO  cents;  gilt,  75  cts. 

"  No  Chiistiiin  can  read  this  biogranhy  without  acquiring  a  sharp 
ajipctitc  for  the  heavenly  manna  on  wliieh  this  saint  of  God  fed,  and  grew 
so  strong  and  beautiful."  —  AVb.  D.  Stie/e,  D.D. 

Any  hook  stent  by  mail  on  receipt  of  price. 

HOLINESS  BOOK  CONCERN,  Reading,  Mass. 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA; 


OR  THB 

Life  of  William  Taylor,  D.D. 

With  an  account  of  the  Congo  Country, 
and  Mission. 

By  Rev.  E.  Davies, 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  GIFT  OF  THE  HOLT  GHOST,"   "  INFTDELITT 
ASD    CHRISTIAMTT,"     "LIFE    OF    HESTER  ANN 
EOGEES,"   "THE  EOT  PREACHEB,"  ETC. 


"  A  workman  that  needeth  not  to  be  ashamed."  Paitl. 


PUBUSHED  FOE  THE  BENEFIT  OF 
XHE    BUILiDINO-    AJSTD    TRANSIT  FUND 

OF  WILLIAM  TAYLOR'S  MISSIONS, 
HOLINESS  BOOK  CONCERN,  READING,  MASS. 

Orders  may  also  be  sent  to 
Alili  METHODIST  BOOK  STOB£S, 


Price  75  cents. 


Copyright,  1885. 

By  E.  DAYIES. 


DEIDICA-riCN. 


TO  ALL  LOVEHS  OF  THE  HL^IAN  RACE  WHO  ARE  LABORING  TO 
BRING  THIS  WICKED  WORLD  BACK  TO  LTflON 
■WITH  GOD,  BY  THE  SPREAD  OF  THE 

GOSPEL  OF  OUR   LORD  JESUS  CHRIST, 

IS  THIS  BOOK  RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED, 
BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


INTRODUCTION. 


For  some  time  the  blessed  Holy  Spirit  has 
prompted  me  to  write  the  following  book, 
yea,  it  came  upon  me  as  an  inspiration :  so 
that  I  was  compelled  to  write  or  disobey. 
It  has  seemed  to  me  that  the  wonderful 
facts  of  the  history  of  William  Taylor  ought 
to  he  put  on  permanent  record.  For  years 
I  have  been  gathering  material  for  the  same. 
Years  ago  I  wrote  a  sketch  of  his  life.  This 
book  will  give  a  concise  and  somewhat 
complete  account  of  his  marvellous  life  and 
extensive  travels ;  and  of  his  great  African 
mission  ;  it  will  also  tend  to  provoke  the  zeal 
and  self-sacrifice  of  others. 

I  write  also  to  show  how  wonderfully  his 
self-sustaining  or  Pauline  method  of  support 
has  been  established  ;  and  also  to  show  that 
this  method  by  no  means  supersedes  or  dis- 
parages the  work  of  the  Missionary  Society. 
Nay,  verily  !  but  it  supplements  and  stimu- 
lates that  work. 

And,  as  I  am  not  an  interested  party,  I 
hope  to  give  an  unprejudiced  statement  of 
facts  that  will  be  a  blessing  to  all. 

I  have  gathered  from  all  quarters  a  lil)eral 
amount  of  information  concerning  Central 
Africa,  especially  the  region  of  the  Congo, 
which  is  indeed  a  most  promising  mission 
field. 

I  have  given  a  full  account  of  Mr.  Taylor's, 
election  to  the  office  of  a  Bishop,  and  also 


viii.  INTRODUCTION. 

of  the  facts  that,  in  nine  months  after  that 
election,  he  had  gathered  together  nearly 
fifty  missionaries,  secured  their  passage 
money,  and  also  money  for  a  most  liberal 
outfit ;  had  traveled  to  Africa  himself  and 
held  the  Liberia  Conference,  and  spent  a 
month  in  that  Republic  in  successful  revival 
services,  and  greeted  his  colony  of  mission- 
aries as  they  safely  arrived  in  Africa,  after 
their  two  long  ocean  voyages. 

I  write  because  I  have  the  fullest  confi- 
dence in  the  success  of  this  God-inspired 
and  heaven-ordained  mission  ;  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  objections  that  honest  men  have 
made  against  it. 

I  write  also  because,  if  my  many  friends 
and  those  of  Bishop  Taylor,  will  push  the 
sale  of  this  book,  I  hope  to  make  it  produce 
five  hundred  dollars  for  the  Transit  and  Buil- 
ding Fund,  after  paying  for  the  expense  of 
making  and  selling  the  book. 

"Will  the  beloved  of  the  Lord,  of  all  de- 
nominations, help  in  this  good  woi'k?  Let 
us  work  here  and  await  our  reward  in  heaven. 

I  lay  this  book  humbly  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,  earnestly  praying  for  his  benediction. 

E.  Da  VIES. 

Saints'  Retreat,  Reading,  Mass.,  1885. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
The  foremost  mm  of  God  on  this  footstool.— He  obeys 
God  without  controversy.— Untold  thousands  con- 
verted through  his  labors  —A  perfect  prodigy  of  ex- 
cellence.—He  blends  strange  extremes.— His  birth 
and  early  conversion. — Conflict  with  Satan. — Is  over- 
come—Restored to  Divine  favor.— Begins  to  work 
for  God.— God  taught  him  by  night  %-ision9.— Licen- 
sed to  exhort.— Begins  to  preach.— Joins  the  Balti- 
more Conference.— Missionary  to  CalifoiTua.— Street 
preacher   

CHAPTER  H. 
Becomes  an  Evangelist.— Leave  of  absence  from  the 
California  Conference. — Labors  in  the  United  States 
and  Canada.— Spent  several  years  in  Austi-alia. 
—Seven  months  in  England  and  Ireland.- Explores 
Palestine.— First  year  in  Australia.— His  family 
makes  him  a  visit.— Goes  to  Africa.— Preaches  in 
Cape  Town.— Wonderful  work  among  the  Kaffirs 
and  Fingoes  and  natives;  in  seven  months  many 
thousands  were  converted.— Thrilling  account  .  . 

CHAPTER  in. 

Sails  with  his  family  to  London.— His  family  returns  to 
California.— He  reaches  Bombay.— Begins  his  self- 
supporting  Missions. — The  principal  of  self-support 
explained.— Four  years'  campaign  in  India.— Mis- 
sionaries sent  out  .  .  '.  

CHAPTER  IV. 

Returns  to  the  United  States.— South  India  Conference 
organized.— Visits  his  family  after  seven  years'  ab- 
sence.—Leaves  home  to  go  to  India.— The  Holy 
Ghost  orders  him  to  goto  South  America.— Disobeys 
the  order  of  the  Bishop.— Starts  for  South  America. 
—Opens  schools  and  starts  missions  in  many  places. 
—His  life  is  threatened.— Returns  to  the  United 


X. 


CONTENTS. 


>  Page. 

States.— Selects  teachers  and  preachers  for  South 
America.— John  and  Edith  Collier.— The  Transit 
Fund.— Schools  and  Missions  established.— Bitter 
persecution.— Erects  a  College  Building.— Works  at 
the  bench.— Richard  Grant,  Treasurer  of  the  Transit 
Fund.— Dr.  A  Lowrey's  letter.— Latest  news  ...  64 

CHAPTER  V. 
A  chain  of  wonderful  providences.- He  taJies  a  location 
from  the  South  India  Conference.— Is  a  located  Elder. 
—Elected  to  General  Conference  whUe  living  in 
South  America.— Returns  to  United  States.- Takes 
his  seat  in  General  Conterence.— Powerful  discus- 
sion and  speeches. — Is  eiccted  Bishop  of  Africa. 
—All  Christendom  rejoices.- His  letter  to  Rev. 
Wm.  McDonald.- CoiTcction.- Poem  on  his  conse- 
cration as  a  Bishop   78 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Consecrated  laborers  offer  to  go  to  Africa.— Money  for 
Transit  Fund.— Makes  his  family  a  farewell  visit. 
—Marvellous  discoveries  in  Central  Africa.— He 
sails  for  Liverpool.— England's  generosity.— Letter 
to  the  Book  Committee. — Various  opinions. — Letter 
from  Rev.  F.  Merrick  and  from  Rev.  J.  O.  Knowles, 
D.  D.,  also  from  Rev.  J.  W.  Hamilton  IM 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Bishop  Taylor  in  Africa.— Letters.— Is  having  souls  con- 
verted.—.Vmanda  Smith  at  the  front.— Holds  Liberia 
Conference.— Sails  for  Loando.— His  workers  enjoy- 
ing a  ten  days'  Pcotecost  at  Carrol  Park  Church, 
Brooklyn,  N.  T.— Farewell  meeting.— Parting  scenes. 
—Fearful  stoi-m.— Reaches  Liverpool.— Sails  for 
Africa.— Letters  from  the  workers.— Their  safe  ar- 
rival in  Africa.— Letter  from  Bishop  Taylor  ...  14? 

CHAPTER  VIII. 


William  Taylor  as  an  Author.— Various  quotations  from 

liis  wi-itings  176 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA; 

OR  THE 

LIFE  OF  REV.  WILLIAM  TAYLOR. 


CHAPTER  I. 

EARLY  LIFE    AND    RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE. 

It  seems  to  me  that  William  Taylor  is  the 
foremost  man  of  God  on  this  footstool  to-day. 
For  enterprise,  hard  work  and  self-denial, 
he  shames  the  whole  of  us.  It  has  been  my 
unspeakable  privilege  to  be  with  him  at 
many  Camp  Meetings,  and  to  converse  with 
him  on  the  cars  and  at  my  own  home,  and  I 
am  fully  satisfied  that  since  the  days  of 
St.  Paul  there  never  was  another  man  who 
so  completely  imitated  the  great  Apostle  to 
the  Gentiles.  He  claims  the  privilege  of 
obeying  God  immediately,  without  confer- 
ring with  flesh  and  blood ;  of  hearing  the 
Macedonian  cry  in  the  night,  "Come  over 
and  help  us,"  and  of  starting  off  immediately 
the   next  morning  to  obey  "the  heavenly 


12  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


vision."  His  marVellous  success  in  nearly 
all  parts  of  the  world  shows  that  he  is  indeed 
led  and  sustained  by  the  Holy  Ghost.  Some 
one  has  truly  said  of  him  :  — 

"No  man  of  modern  times,  has  given  greater 
evidence  of  being  divinely  called  to  the  work  of 
the  Christian  ministry,  than  William  Taylor. 
His  career  has  been  one  of  marvellous  success, 
and  has  resulted  in  the  salvation  of  untold  thou- 
sands. It  matters  not  how  irregular  or  eccentric 
his  line  of  operations  may  have  been,  in  the 
fundamental  item  of  soul  saving,  we  cliallange 
the  world  to  produce  his  equal.  He  has 
preached  to  more  people,  traveled  over  a  wider 
portion  of  the  earth,  labored  under  a  greater 
variety  of  embarrassing  circumstances,  endured 
more  hardships  and  sacrifices,  and  accomplished 
more,  in  what  might  be  called  the  legitimate  fruit 
of  ministerial  toil,  than  any  other  living  man. 
Far  beyond  aU  evangelists  known  in  the  present 
or  past  history  of  Christianity,  he  has  pushed 
his  personal  efforts  to  promote  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  stands  out  in  peerless  strength  and 
moral  grandeur,  a  perfect  prodigy  of  excellence, 
energy,  simplicity  and  spirituality.  The  singu- 
lar problem  of  his  life  and  work  has  no  solution, 
except  in  the  fact  of  his  earnest  and  devout 
piety.     He  undoubtedly  has  a  richly  endued 


EARLY  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE.  13 


imagination,  and  possesses  numerous  elements 
of  pulpit  power  in  the  highest  degree.  His 
mind  is  somewhat  after  the  type  of  his  body, 
robust  and  full  of  vitality,  and  kept  under  the 
most  thorough  and  Scriptural  control.  He  is 
gonial,  fraternal  and  deferential.  There  is 
nothing  about  him  pretentious  or  assuming.  No 
cant  or  special  style,  but  everything  that  is 
grand  and  glorious.  He  blends  strange  ex- 
tremes. We  doubt  if  there  ever  lived  a  mam 
with  more  intense  domestic  affections  and  inter-\ 
ests.  Yet  he  is  only  an  occassional  visitor  to 
that  dearest  spot  on  earth,  called  home.  He  is 
gentle  as  a  lamb,  and  yet  bold  as  a  lion.  We 
seriously  doubt  if  he  knows  how  to  be  afraid. 
He  seems,  in  the  fullest  sense,  to  have  given  all 
to  Clirist.  The  secret  of  his  power,  and  the  true 
cause  of  his  success  are  that  early  in  his  minis- 
terial life,  he  attained  the  blessing  of  entire 
sanctification.  Ever  since  that  event,  he  has 
been  pre-eminently  effective  in  his  labors." 

Will  lam  Taylor  was  born  May  2,  1821,  in 
Rockbridge  Co.,  Virginia.  He  was  con- 
verted to  God  in  early  life.  Listen  to  his 
own  account:  "The  Lord  Jesus  took  me 
into  his  arms  and  blessed  me  with  pardon, 
when  a  child  of  about  eight  summers.  The 
prophetic  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit  thrilled 


14  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


my  heart  in  those  days  of  my  early  boy- 
hood. My  parents,  though  at  that  time 
strangers  to  the  converting  grace  of  God, 
taught  me  very  early  to  read  the  Scriptures  ; 
so  that  I  got  much  gospel  teaching  in  my 
memory.  Hearing  a  colored  girl  repeat  a 
part  of  the  experience  of  a  colored  man  who 
testified  that  he  had  got  his  sins  forgiven, 
and  coupling  that  testimony  for  Jesus  with 
the  Word  of  God,  I  got  a  basis  of  faith,  and 
was  thus  led  to  seek  and  receive  Jesus  as 
my  Saviour. 

But,  being  ignorant  of  Satan's  devices, 
after  some  months  of  happy  union  with 
Jesus,  I  was  entangled  and  overcome.  One 
day,  when,  with  my  little  hoe  I  was  waging 
a  war  with  the  weeds  in  my  father's  corn- 
field, Satan  came  to  me.  I  was  not  ac- 
quainted with  Satan  then,  and  being  invis- 
ible, I  knew  not  his  presence  nor  his  design 
upon  me.  He  said  to  my  inner  person : 
' '  Have  you  not  read  what  the  poor  sinners 
did  in  Jerusalem  when  they  repented  and 
obtained  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins  ? " 

"Yes,  they  sold  their  possessions  and 
goods,  and  parted  them  to  all  men,  as  every 
man  had  need."     "Barnabas  having  land, 


EAELT  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE.  15 


sold  it,  and  brought  the  money  and  laid  it 
down  at  the  apostles'  feet." 

"  Have  you  sold  all  your  goods  and  given 
away  the  money  ?" 

"l^o,  I  have  not." 

"  Well,  you  see  how  it  is,  you  can't  be  a 
follower  of  Jesus,  unless  you  sell  all  you 
have  and  give  the  money  to  the  poor,  and 
moreover  you  never  can  be  an  owner  of  any 
property  as  long  as  you  live." 

I  hung  my  head  and  soliloquized,  "I  have 
but  little,  but  I  must  sell  all  and  give  to 
those  who  have  need."  I  began  to  take  stock 
of  my  effects  intent  on  following  the  example 
of  tlie  sinners  at  Jerusalem.  The  only  things 
I  could  recall,  as  coming  under  this  gospel 
requirement,  were  a  few  calfskins,  and  sheep- 
skins, and  a  dogskin  or  two,  down  in  my 
father's  tan  vats.  I  wondered  how  I  could 
get  them  out  and  sell  them.  I  wish  I  could, 
but  I  can't. 

Satan  had  seized  an  arrow  from  God's 
quiver  and  thrust  it  through  me,  and  stood 
over  me  in  a  grim,  malicious  self-gratification, 
peculiar  to  himself,  and  said  "  God  requires 
you  to  do  what  you  cannot  do.  Is  it  not  a 
hard  requirement  ?  " 


16  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 

I  said  in  my  heart  "  It  seems  so,  yes,  it  is 
so,"  and  the  pall  of  death  was  thrown  over 
my  spirit.  O,  if  I  had  known  anybody  who 
knew  Jesus,  or  could  have  had  some  Phillip 
near  to  expound  to  me  the  Scriptures,  some 
one  to  even  whisper  in  my  ear,  that  I  could 
understand  that  those  principles  were  not 
mandatory,  but  simply  historical,  show- 
ing the  power  of  Christian  love,  to  relieve 
the  necessities  of  the  pilgrim  Jews,  who  had 
come  from  all  parts  of  the  Roman  world  to 
their  annual  feast  at  Jerusalem,  and  whose 
conversion  to  God  had  changed  all  their 
plans.  Many  of  them  disinherited,  and  all 
of  them  detained  for  a  time  in  the  holy  city. 
Without  extraordinary  benevolence  on  the 
part  of  the  resident  believers,  to  meet  so 
great  an  emergency,  want,  and  famine,  and 
death  would  have  come  to  many  of  their 
foreign  brothers  and  sisters.  A  similar  de- 
mand would  now  draw  out  a  similar  supply, 
for  Christian  sympathy  and  fraternal  love  are 
the  same  now  as  then.  A  little  Scripture 
exposition  would  have  saved  me  from  that 
horril)le  defeat  and  a  dozen  years  of  fruitless 
struggles  to  be  good,  with  as  many  failures 
and  relapses  into  sin. 


EARLY  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE.  17 


I  had  never  heard  of  a  Methodist  at  that 
time,  and  when  I  did  hear  of  them  I  heard 
so  many  evil  reports  against  them,  that  I 
wanted  nothing  to  do  with  them.  In  course 
of  time,  happily  for  me,  the  advancing 
armies  of  the  sect  everywhere  spoken  against 
covered  the  country  in  which  I  lived  ;  and  as 
far  back  as  1835  I  joined  them,  but  being  a 
demoralized  backslider,  I  was  so  dark  and 
unbelieving  that  it  was  not  till  August  28, 
1841,  that  I  was  by  a  miracle  of  mercy, 
restored  to  my  standing  in  the  family  of  God. 
I  was  so  grateful  to  my  heavenly  Father  for 
my  deliverance  from  the  horrible  pit,  and  so 
filled  Avith  love  and  sympathy  for  perishing 
simiers,  tbat,  though  extremely  bashful  and 
unobtrusive  by  nature,  I  commenced  at  once 
to  work  and  witness  for  Jesus.  God  gave 
me  success  from  the  first  day  after  my  deliver- 
ance, so  that  I  soon  learned  to  test  all  my 
work  for  God  by  its  eft'ectiveness  in  soul- 
saving,  and  thus  proved  the  truth  of  a  more 
modern  saying  :  ' '  Nothing  succeeds  like 
success." 

The  spiritual  instinct  of  every  new-bora 
soul  exclaims 

"  O  that  the  world  might  taste  and  see 
The  riches  of  his  grace  1 


18  THE  BISHOP  OF  ATKICA. 


The  arms  of  love  that  compassed  me 
Would  all  mankind  embrace." 

A  few  weeks  after  I  was  saved  I  dreamed 
I  was  at  a  preaching  service  and  at  the  close, 
when  the  preacher  dismissed  the  congrega- 
tion, he  remained  standing  in  the  pulpit  and 
sang  a  hymn.  Most  of  the  people  in  attend- 
ance retired,  and  as  I  sat  in  front  of  the 
pulpit  looking  at  the  minister,  he  suddenly 
stopped  his  singing  and  fixing  his  eyes  on 
me,  said,  "William;  God  has  a  great  work 
for  you  to  do  and  if  you  will  '  confer  not 
with  flesh  nnd  blood,'  turn  neither  to  the 
right  hand  or  the  left,  but  follow  the  leading 
of  the  Holy  Spirit,  your  wisdom  will  increase 
like  a  continual  dripping  into  a  bucket."  In 
my  dream  I  saw  the  empty  bucket  and  tlie 
pure  sparkling  drops  falling  into  it,  and 
learned  from  that  hour  never  to  say  in  res- 
ponse to  any  call  to  perform  duty,  "  Please 
to  excuse  me,  I  am  not  prepared." 

The  next  Sabbath  after  this  vision,  our 
pastor.  Rev.  Wm.  Enos  of  the  Baltimore 
Confei'ence,  at  the  close  of  his  sermon  dis- 
missed the  congregation,  and  while  the  ma- 
jority of  the  people  wore  retiring  the  preacher 
remained  standing  in  the  pulpit  and  sang  a 


EARLY  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE.  19 


hymn.  He  stopped  suddenly  and  looked  at 
me,  and  then  came  down  to  me  and  said, 

William  you  will  please  to  go  out !  " 

I  grabbed  my  hat  and  cut  for  home,  a  dis- 
tance of  two  miles.  Striding  over  the  hills 
like  a  race I  was  wondering  what  on  earth 
I  could  have  done  that  our  preacher  should 
order  me  out  of  the  class  meeting. 

When  my  father  returned  home  he  said, 
•'William,  what  became  of  you?  Brother 
Enos  sent  me  to  call  you  in  and  I  could  not 
find  you." 

"No,  sir;  I  was  not  to  be  found  in  those 
parts.  When  the  preacher  ordered  me  out 
of  the  house  I  thought  it  was  time  for  me  to 
start,  and  the  grass  had  no  time  to  grow 
under  my  feet." 

"Well,  you  had  nothing  to  be  scared 
about.  When  you  left.  Brother  Enos 
addressed  the  class  and  said,  '  I  have  had  my 
eye  on  William  Taylor  for  some  time,  and  I 
am  satisfied  that  God  has  a  great  work  for 
him  to  do,  and  if  you  think  as  I  do  in  regard 
to  him,  I  will  be  glad  to  give  him  a  license 
to  exhort.'  The  vote  was  unanimous.  Then 
he  wanted  me  to  call  you  in.  I  was  ashamed 
to  report  that  you  were  not  to  be  found." 


20  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


I  said  but  little,  but  thought  much.  My 
dream  recun-ed  to  my  mind  with  the  begin- 
ning of  its  fulfilment,  and  I  said  to  myself, 
"Who  is  sufficient  for  these  things?  I 
have  nothing  but  an  empty  bucket,  but  I  see 
how  it  is  to  be  filled,  and  I  have  nothing  to 
do  but  obey  the  orders  of  my  Sovereign 
and  my  Saviour.  He  has  not  promised  to 
fill  me  with  knowledge  but  with  wisdom. 
So  that  I  may  adapt  means  to  ends,  and 
with  a  little  knowledge  do  great  execution." 

I  soon  began  to  realize  the  call  of  the 
Spirit,  to  devote  my  life  wholly  to  soul- 
saving.  Nothing  else  appeared  to  be  worth 
living  for,  and  I  became  so  burdened  in 
spirit  as  to  jeopardize  my  health  of  body 
and  mind. 

Again  the  Lord  instructed  me  in  the  night 
seasons.  In  my  sleep  an  invisible  person  who 
seemed  to  be  close  to  me,  talked  most  kind- 
ly and  sweetly  to  my  spirit,  reminding  me 
of  the  command  of  Jesus,  "that  they 
should  not  depart  from  Jerusalum,  but  wait 
for  the  promise  of  the  Father,  what  saith  he, 
ye  have  heard  of  me."  "Ye  shall  receive 
power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come 
upon  you."    Then  continued  my  Heavenly 


EARLY  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE-.  21 

Teacher,  "the  prophetic  spirit  of  Jonah  shall 
be  given  unto  you. 

The  anticipatory  thrill  of  such  a  com- 
mission went  through  me,  and  I  awoke,  and 
patiently  waited  while  I  continued  to  work 
with  earnestness." 

Soon  after  he  received  a  license  to  exhort, 
he  looked  at  it  and  said,  "  What  a  responsi- 
bility and  nothing  to  fill  it  but  an  empty 
bucket."  That  license  was  never  renewed, 
for  he  was  sent  as  junior  preacher  to  Frank- 
lin Circuit  in  the  Baltimore  Conference. 

God  gave  him  souls  on  his  first  round  on  the 
Circuit,  and  he  was  reported  to  the  preacher 
in  charge  as  follows  :  ' '  He  is  tall  and  slender, 
active  and  strong ;  wears  a  blue  coat  with 
brass  buttons.  His  legs  extend  three  or 
four  inches  lower  than  his  pants,  and  he 
wears  the  broadest-toed  boots  that  have  ever 
been  seen  in  these  parts.  He  has  but  little 
experience  in  preaching,  but  he  is  desper- 
ately in  earnest  and  has  the  stufi"  in  him  to 
make  a  preacher,  and  he  can  sing  just  as 
loud  as  he  likes." 

He  travelled  four  circuits  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Virginia,  and  God  gave  him  a 
harvest  of  souls.    Then  he  went  as  junior 


22  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


preacher  to  Georgetown,  D.  C,  and  preached 
in  the  white  and  colored  churches  of  that 
city.  In  the  spring  he  opened  his  gospel 
commission  in  the  Georgetown  market,  with 
great  crowds,  good  order  and  rehgious 
interest.  Then  he  preached  in  Baltimore  in 
the  churches  and  in  the  streets. 

In  October,  1848,  Bishop  Waugh  appoint- 
ed him  a  missionary  to  California,  under  the 
direction  of  the  Missionary  Society  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

After  a  five  months'  voyage  round  Cape 
Horn  he  arrived  with  a  wife  and  two  children 
in  San  Francisco,  then  a  city  of  tents,  Sep- 
tember, 1849.  For  seven  years  in  that  city 
he  ' '  ceased  not  to  teach  and  preach  Jesus 
Christ,"  in  the  churches  and  in  the  streets, 
so  that  he  was  called  "  The  Street  Preacher." 
(See  his  book).  So  that  he  writes,  "  Hav- 
ing gone  through  a  course  of  seven  years  in 
the  Baltimore  Conference  and  seven  years  in 
California,  among  representatives  of  nearly 
all  nations  of  the  earth  it  was  manifest  that 
I  was  being  educated  for  something  beyond 
the  ordinary  routine  of  a  Methodist  minis- 
ter's work.  I  had  no  thought  of  a  change, 
however,  until,  by  a  strange  and  unexpected 


EARLY  RELIGIOUS  EXPERIENCE. 


23 


providence,  I  was  thrown  out  of  the  regular 
orbit  of  my  itinerant  life  into  a  comet-like 
path  leading  me  through  immeasurable  space. 
It  was  not  of  my  choosing  but  was  the 
greatest  grief  of  my  life  up  to  that  time. 
My  ambition  was  to  stay  at  home  in  the 
regular  work  with  my  wife  and  family ;  but 
m}'^  loyalty  to  God,  which  had  been  perfected 
during  the  first  four  years  of  my  spiritual 
life,  would  not  allow  me  to  shrink  for  a  mo- 
ment from  any  responsibility  the  Lord  might 
lay  upon  me,  whether  for  life  or  death. 


24  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


CHAPTER  n. 

WILLIAM  TAYLOR  AS  EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 

This  world-wide  apostle  of  the  Gentiles 
began  his  career  as  evangelist  in  1856  under 
a  leave  of  absence  from  the  California  Con- 
ference, to  which  he  belonged  from  its  or- 
ganization. He  labored  in  the  Eastern  and 
Western  states  of  America  and  then  in  the 
Canadas.  Thus  he  spent  five  years  in  win- 
ning souls  to  Christ.  In  1861  he  met  Dr. 
James  Brown  in  Canada,  who  had  spent 
several  years  in  Australia,  who  persuaded 
him  to  think  about  going  to  labor  for  Christ 
in  that  great  country.  After  prayer  and 
meditation  he  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  visit 
the  Australian  colonies  and  assist  the  churches 
there  in  their  great  work.  When  he  sailed 
for  Australia  his  family  returned  to  Cali- 
fornia. He  spent  seven  months  in  England 
and  Ireland,  made  a  tour  round  the  coast  of 


EVANGELIST  m  AFRICA.  25 


Asia  Minor  and  Syria,  explored  Palestine, 
and  passing  through  Egypt  took  a  stearoer 
at  Suez  for  Ceylon  and  Melbourne,  making 
almost  a  year  from  New  York  to  i\Icll)ourne. 
He  spent  his  first  year  in  Australia  in  the 
colonies  of  Victoria  and  Tasmania,  the  sec- 
ond year  in  New  South  "VV^ales,  Queensland 
and  New  Zealand,  and  six  months  of  the  third 
year  in  South  Australia. 

In  New  South  Wales  he  met  Dr.  A.  Mof- 
fit  of  Sidney,  who  tried  to  persuade  him  to 
visit  South  Africa.  The  Doctor  had  spent 
six  years  on  the  coast  of  Africa  and  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  missionary  operations 
and  felt  a  lively  interest  in  them. 

When  JNIr.  Taylor  considered  the  claims 
of  his  conference  and  of  his  family  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  of  his  limited  time  for  such  work, 
it  seemed  as  though  he  could  not  go.  But 
the  Doctor  maintained  that  it  was  his  firm 
belief  that  Grod  in  his  providence  would  send 
him  to  Africa.  "Very  well,"  Mr.  Taylor 
replied,  "Whenever  I  get  an  order  from 
Him  to  go  to  Africa,  I  will  be  off  by  the 
first  ship." 

He  had  now  been  absent  from  his  family 
more  than  three  years  and  he  said  this  was 


26  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


up-hill  business  all  the  time,  "but  since  so 
many  men  endure  similar  pi'ivations  to  catch 
whales,  and  in  the  merchant  marine  and  in 
the  army  and  naval  sei-vice,  I  should  have  been 
ashamed  to  complain,  even  if  I  had  felt  a  com- 
plaining spirit ;  but  having  the  conviction  that 
God  had  appointed  me  a  messenger  to  the 
churches  to  the  Southern  world,  confirmed  by 
the  conversion  of  six  thousand  souls  to  God, 
during  these  two  years  and  a  half,  I  patiently 
waited  the  issues  of  Providence  in  regard  to 
my  family." 

In  November,  1865,  he  received  a  letter 
from  Mrs.  Taylor  saying  that  it  was  un- 
certain about  her  and  the  family  coming  to 
visit  him  as  she  could  not  get  passage  on  the 
ship  that  carried  the  letter,  this  was  an  awful 
suspense,  "  hope  deferred  made  the  heart 
sick."  The  next  day  he  travelled  one  hund- 
red and  twenty  miles,  ninety  by  mail  coach 
m  the  broiling  sun  at  110°  Fahrenheit  in  tlie 
shade  to  Wallaroo,  to  hold  revival  services. 
A  telegram  from  Sidney  arrived  that  night 
saying  that  Mrs.  Taylor  and  the  children  had 
just  arrived  and  were  all  well.  He  had  just 
given  up  all  hope  of  seeing  them  for  many 
mouths  and  now  his  wife  and  jNIorgan  Stuart, 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA.  27 


Ross  and  Edward,  aged  respectively  eighteen, 
nine  and  six  years,  were  waiting  to  see  bini, 
four  children  were  already  in  heaven.  Sur- 
prise, joy  and  gratitude  so  filled  Mr.  Tay- 
lors soul  that  he  Jay  awake  all  that  night. 
Not  long  after  he  received  the  news  that 
]\Jjorgan  Stewart  was  thought  to  be  dying, 
and  he  must  hasten  if  he  would  see  him 
alive.  While  waiting  for  a  passage  to  his 
family  he  received  the  sad  intelligence  that 
his  son  had  a  malignant  fever,  so  he  made 
up  his  mind  to  get  him  to  sea  as  soon  as 
possible.  At  length  he  arrived  and  found 
his  wife  worn  out  with  weary  watching  and 
the  sick  son  too  weak  to  see  his  father  till 
morning.  At  day-dawn  little  Ross  was 
brought  to  him.    He  asked  him, 

"  How  do  you  know  that  I  am  your  papa  ?" 

"  My  mother  told  me  so." 

He  accepted  his  father  on  the  faith  of  his 
mother's  testimony.  He  then  received  his 
little  Eddie,  and  finally  embraced  the  "  bony- 
Avreck  of  his  first-born,  Morgan  Stuart,  and 
heard  him  faintly  say,  '  O,  my  father  ! ' " 

For  three  weary  months  they  sat  down  just 
outside  the  gates  of  death.  As  he  grew  some 
better,  it  was  decided  that  the  best  thing  to 


28  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


do  was  to  take  ship  to  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope,  arriving  in  time  for  the  salubrious 
winter  season  of  Cape  Colony. 

This  was  a  providential  leading  to  visit 
Africa  and  win  souls.  After  a  voyage  of 
forty-one  days,  they  cast  anchor  at  Table 
Bay,  Cape  of  Good  Hope. 

The  Kaffirs  in  Cape  Colony  number  95,- 
576.  They  were  naturally  a  powerful  race. 
They  are  physically  a  fine  race  of  people. 
Their  prevailing  color  is  that  of  dark  mahog- 
any. All  the  chiefs  hold  their  rank  by 
hereditary  right.  They  speak  a  most  eupho- 
nious language,  and  every  Kaffir  is  an  oi'a- 
tor.  They  are  very  swift  on  foot,  and  before 
the  mail  arrangement  one  of  them  would 
carry  a  packet  of  papers  forty-six  miles  in  a 
single  night. 

Mr.  Taylor's  first  Sabbath  in  Cape  Town 
was  spent  in  the  Wesley  an  chapel,  when  the 
Holy  Spirit  was  manifested  to  many  hearts. 
In  the  evening  he  preached  four  miles  away. 
He  was  astonished  at  the  small  churches  and 
small  congregations,  compared  with  Aus- 
tralia. 

During  the  week  he  found  a  reasonable 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFKICA.  21? 


place  for  board,  and  began  to  inquire  how  he 
could  spend  his  six  months'  stay. 

The  next  Sabbath  he  commenced  reviva 
services  and  preached  thirteen  sermons  in 
nine  days ;  seekers  were  at  the  altar  each 
night,  and  thirty  the  last  night,  but  the  whole 
machinery  of  the  church  seemed  weak,  twen- 
t^'-nine  gave  evidence  of  conversion. 

Soon  his  way  opened  to  go  to  Port  Eliza- 
beth. He  found  a  small  church  and  a  sleepy 
kind  of  people  who  wanted  the  meetings 
closed  at  8  o'clock,  p.  M. 

The  first  evening  he  dismissed  the  people 
at  8  o'clock,  but  they  were  so  interested  that 
they  remained.  Thirteen  adults  came  for- 
ward as  seekers,  and  about  half  of  them 
found  salvation,  but  the  minister  closed  the 
meeting  before  the  evangelist  had  time  to 
speak  to  others  that  were  weeping  before  the 
Lord.  During  the  two  weeks'  meetings,  from 
ten  to  twenty  seekers  were  forward  every 
night ;  many  were  converted.  On  Saturday 
evening  he  had  a  meeting  for  the  Kaffirs  and 
Fingoes,  with  a  local  preacher  for  an  inter- 
preter. Bnt  it  was  hard  work  to  speak  to 
the  people  second-handed,  especially  vt^hen 
he  was  very  weary.    He  preached  to  six 


30  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 

hundred  people  from  the  Court  House  steps 
on  Sunday  afternoon.  At  the  close,  a  man 
came  up  and  shook  his  hand,  saying,  "  I 
have  heard  you  preach  to  the  gaml)lers  in 
San  Francisco,  and  to  the  sailors  on  Long 
Wharf.  I  shall  never  forget  how  you  re- 
proved a  sailor  who  wished  the  coals  were  in 
hell  that  he  was  unloading.  You  told  him 
that  was  quite  unnecessary,  for  if  he  was  so 
unhappy  as  to  go  down  to  that  place,  he 
would  find  it  hot  enough  and  plenty  of  fuel." 

He  preached  in  various  places  in  this 
region  and  again  to  the  Kaffirs,  through  an 
interpreter  ;  many  were  converted.  Then  in  a 
post  cart,  a  rough  conveyance  on  two  wheels, 
drawn  by  four  horses,  he  was  jolted  over  a 
rough  road  for  ninety  miles,  to 

GRAHAM  TOWN. 

The  houses  are  principally  brick  and  stone, 
and  not  generally  over  two  stories  high,  and 
the  streets  are  shaded  with  lovely  trees.  There 
is  an  extensive  barracks  for  troops,  both  at  the 
east  and  west  end  of  the  city.  May  13th 
the  largest  Wesleyan  chapel  was  crowded 
three  times  with  a  superior  class  of  people, 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA, 


31 


with  a  sprinkling  of  red-coats  (British  sol- 
diers) among  them.  Mr.  Taylor  preached 
in  the  morning  from  "But  ye  shall  receive 
power  after  that  the  Holy  Ghost  is  come 
U})on  you."  He  preached  as  usual  on  the 
p(!rsonaIity,  immediate  presence  and  special 
mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  the  adjust- 
ments of  human  agents  to  his  gracious  ar- 
rangements essential  to  success.  In  the 
afternoon  he  preached  to  the  children,  and  in 
the  evening  to  seniors,  and  though  many 
were  convicted  not  one  would  come  forward. 
The  brethren  were  greatly  discouraged. 
Brother  Taylor  gave  them  a  lecture  on  ven- 
tihiting  their  large  church,  so  that  the  four- 
teen hundred  people  would  not  be  poisoning 
all  the  air  while  listening  to  the  Word  of  God. 
The  house  was  ventilated  and  on  Monday 
night  about  thirty  were  at  the  altar  and  many 
found  peace.  This  good  work  went  on  for 
thi-ee  weeks  and  a  mighty  outpouring  of  the 
Spirit  was  bestowed.  One  hundred  and 
twenty  persons,  nearly  all  adults,  gave  their 
names  as  candidates  for  membership  in  the 
Wesleyau  church.  At  the  same  time  one 
hundred  and  seventy  professed  conversion  in 
the  meetings  whose  names  were  taken.  He 


32  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


says  the  people  were  very  attentive,  social 
and  affectionate.  He  formed  bonds  of  Chris- 
tian friendship  which  will  abide  forever. 

There  was  a  general  and  wide-spread  work 
of  God  followed,  so  that  strangers  wondered. 
A  general  in  the  army  asked  a  barber  who 
this  Mr.  Taylor  was  who  had  caused  such  a 
stir  in  the  town.  The  barber  said,  "  Have 
you  not  read  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles 
about  certain  men  who  turned  the  world  up- 
side down  ?  " 

*'  Yes,  I  have  read  something  about  it  in 
the  Bible." 

"  Well,  sir,"  he  replied,  Mr.  Taylor,  I 
believe,  is  a  relative  of  those  men." 

KING  William's  town 

was  the  next  place  of  labor.  There  were 
about  6,000  people  there,  about  half  of  whom 
were  Europeans,  many  of  them  English  and 
a  number  of  Christian  churches.  The  Wes- 
leyan  chapel  cost  £2,000  in  which  the  revival 
sei'vices  were  held.  These  interesting  ser- 
vices were  held  on  his  first  Sabbath,  yet,  with 
all  the  skill  and  power  of  the  pioneer  preacher 
there  were  no  conversions  that  day.  And 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 


33 


the  bar  of  reserve  and  of  prejudice  was  not 
broken  till  Wednesday  evening,  when  some 
twenty-eight  young  people  gathered  around 
the  altar.  It  was  indeed  a  moment  of  delicious 
joy  as  one  after  another  of  them  arose  and 
testitied  what  Christ  had  done  for  them,  til] 
twenty  of  them  had  spoken  for  Christ.  This 
was  a  demonstration  of  the  Spirit  that  could 
not  be  gainsay ed. 

The  Holy  Ghost  fell  on  the  people  on  Sun- 
day and  twenty-six  came  forward  as  seekers 
of  mercy,  eight  or  ten  of  them  arose  and  tes- 
tified that  they  were  saved.  Twenty-eight 
adults  came  forward  the  next  evening ;  all 
but  eight  found  salvation.  The  work  went 
on  after  Mr.  Taylor  left  and  his  name  became 
a  household  word  in  all  that  region.  About 
eighty,  including  children,  were  converted  in 
the  eight  days  of  his  meeting. 

Mr.  Taylor  longed  to  preach  to  the  natives, 
but  could  make  but  little  advance  through  an 
interpreter.  But  in  the  providence  of  God 
an  interpreter  was  raised  up  who  could  inter- 
pret his  words  and  make  an  impression  on 
the  audiences.  His  name  was  Charles  Pamla, 
who  had  sold  his  farm  and  a  good  house  that 
he  might  be  a  candidate  for  the  ministry  and 


34 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


serve  the  Lord  all.  the  time.  He  was  six  feet 
high,  well  proportioned,  quite  black,  regular 
features  and  very  pleasant  expression,  with  a 
sonorous  voice. 

The  following  testimony  of  this  wonderful 
native  is  marvellous  in  the  Ploly  Ghost.  By 
reading  Wesley's  sermons  he  became  con- 
victed of  his  need  of  entire  sanctilication. 
He  says,  "I  had  a  sure  trust  that  through 
the  blood  of  Christ  I  would  secure  the  bless- 
ing. One  morning  very  early  I  went  to 
prayer  for  this  blessing,  and  while  I  was 
praying  and  trusting  in  the  blood  of  Christ, 
I  felt  a  small  voice  speaking  through  my 
soul,  saying,  '  It  is  done,  receive  the  bless- 
ing.' The  first  thing  I  felt  was  ease  from 
the  different  kinds  of  thought,  ease  from  the 
world  and  from  all  the  cares  of  the  flesh.  I 
felt  the  Spirit  filling  my  soul,  and  immedi- 
ately I  was  forced  to  say  in  my  soul,  '  For 
me  to  live  is  Christ.'  And  I  gave  up  my 
body,  soul,  thoughts,  words,  time,  property, 
children,  and  everything  that  belongs  to  me, 
to  the  Lord,  to  do  as  he  pleases." 

This  converted  heathen  began  to  lead  souls 
to  Christ  till  he  had  a  glorious  revival,  in 
which  many  were  truly  converted,  and  many 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 


35 


mightily  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost.  He 
examined  the  converts  carefully  through  one 
of  "Wesley's  sermons  on  the  Witness  of  the 
Spirit.  Twenty-six  members  found  peace 
that  day  and  night,  also  one  backslider,  and 
nine  people  who  were  heathens  promised  to 
give  up  Kaffir  beer  and  all  other  heathen 
customs,  and  every  sin. 

It  is  supposed  that  th^  Kaffir  language  is 
spoken  by  one  million  souis  in  Africa,  there- 
fore it  was  important  to  have  an  intei'preter 
who  could  preach  the  gospel  to  them  in  their 
own  tongue  and  who  could  interpret  the 
preaching  of  Mr.  Taylor. 

A  young  minister  heard  Mr.  Taylor  preach 
a  sermon  on  Christian  Perfection,  he  ob- 
tained it,  went  home,  started  a  revival  in 
which  hundreds  were  converted,  was  taken 
sick  and  died  in  a  short  time  in  holy  triumph. 

While  Mr.  Taylor  was  preaching  to  the 
English,  Charles  Pamla  preached  to  the 
natives  of  King  William's  Town,  with  marked 
success.  During  three  services  nearly  eighty 
persons  were  converted. 

ANNSHAW 

was  the  name  of  the  next  town  where  Mr. 
Taylor  labored.    There  was  a  membership 


36  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


of  600  in  this  Wesleyan  Circuit,  most  of 
them  Kaffirs.  Here  it  was  that  Charles 
Pamla  became  the  interpreter  of  Mr.  Taylor. 
So  he  took  him  alone  and  preached  his  ser- 
mon to  him,  filled  his  head  and  heart  full  of 
it.  He  had  heard  Mr.  Taylor  preach  before 
but  could  not  interpret  it  because  it  was  in 
high  English.  So  he  determined  to  preach 
in  low  English,  and  asked  him  to  stop  him 
at  any  word  that  he  did  not  understand. 
Besides,  he  gave  him  a  talk  on  naturalness. 

"But,"  said  he,  "I  must  speak  loud 
sometimes." 

"O  yes,"  he  replied,  "as  loudly  as  you 
like,  at  the  right  time.  The  scream  of  a 
mother,  on  hearing  her  child  fall  into  a  well, 
is  as  natural  as  a  lullaby  in  the  nursery. 
God  has  given  us  every  variety  of  vocal  pow- 
er and  intonation  adapted  to  express  every 
variety  of  emotion,  from  the  softest  whis- 
pers, like  the  mellow  murmurings  of  the 
rippling  rill,  up  to  the  thunder-crashing 
voices  of  the  cataract."  I,  however,  put  it 
into  "  low  English,"  so  that  he  understood 
perfectly. 

Their  first  meeting  for  preaching  Mr. 
Taylor  stood  in  the  pulpit  and  Charles  on 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA.  37 


the  top  step  hy  his  side.  The  audience  room 
was  crowded,  packed  even  in  the  aisles. 
The  Europeans  were  pecuharly  dressed. 
The  heathens  were  painted  red  with  ochre,  the 
men  wrapped  in  a  blanket,  the  women  wear- 
ing a  skirt  of  dressed  leather.  The  text 
was  "Ye  shall  receive  power  after  that  the 
Holy  Ghost  is  come  upon  you,  and  ye  shall 
be  witnesses  unto  me  both  in  Jerusalem  and 
in  Judea  and  in  Samaria  and  unto  the  utter- 
most parts  of  the  earth."  It  was  entirely  to 
believers.  Charles  caught  and  gave  the 
ideas  with  great  clearness.  He  seemed  a 
transparent  medium,  through  which  the  gos- 
pel thoughts  were  made  luminous  by  the 
Holy  Ghost.  There  was  a  profound  silence 
all  through  the  discourse  for  an  hour  and  a 
quarter.  There  was  an  awful  solemnity  that 
every  one  seemed  to  feel,  of  the  presence  of 
a  power,  that,  like  a  slumbering  earthquake, 
would  soon  break  fourth. 

After  a  season  of  silent  prayer  at  the  close 
of  the  discourse  —  silent,  but  slightly  inter- 
rupted by  the  uncontrollable  emotions  of  the 
people  —  the  asseml)ly  was  dismissed  to  give 
time  for  refreshments  and  reflection  before 
the  evening  service. 


38  TIIE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


After  tea,  Charles  in  private  revised  the 
evening  sermon.  The  text  was,  "  As  I  live 
saith  the  Lord  God,  I  have  no  pleasure  in  tlie 
dcatli  of  the  wicked."  During  the  preach- 
ing of  about  an  hour,  "  the  beaming  faces  of 
the  believers,  the  distorted  features  of  the 
dinners,  the  tearful  eyes  of  both,  all  in  solemn 
silence  before  the  Lord  and  the  voice  of  his 
prophets,  presented  together  a  scene  which 
neither  painter  nor  poet  can  describe ;  and 
yet  to  be  felt  and  witnessed,  was  to  receive 
an  impression  never  to  be  eflaced." 

An  exceedingly  appropriate  hymn  was 
given  out  and  interpreted  with  great  effect. 
Then  about  two  hundred  came  forward  cry- 
ing for  mercy,  and  soon  one  after  another 
found  salvation  and  sat  quietly  at  the  feet  of 
Jesus,  till  seventy  souls  had  professed  to 
find  peace  and  had  given  in  their  names.  It 
seemed  like  the  harmony  of  heaven  to  Mr. 
Taylor,  and  the  angels  rejoiced.  The  great 
evangelist  felt  that  he  could  now  preach 
ellectually  through  a  sanctified  interpreter ; 
so  the  spell  that  bound  him  within  the  lines 
of  his  native  language  was  broken.  It  was 
a  marvellous  night. 

The  natives  returned  to  a  sunrise  prayer 


EVANGELIST  m  AFEICA.  39 


meeting  the  next  moniing.  At  10  a.  m. 
there  was  a  prayer  meeting  that  lasted  four 
hours.  During  the  three  services  one  hun- 
dred and  fifteen  persons  professed  to  obtain 
salvation  and  gave  in  their  names. 

This  work  rolled  on  after  he  left  till  two 
hundred  and  eighty  were  converted.  So 
that  about  three  hundred  were  saved  in  less 
than  five  days,  which  was  a  great  marvel  in 
a  heathen  land,  and  through  an  interpreter. 
It  was  remarkable  how  clearly  they  could 
testify  of  their  glorious  experience.  Besides 
the  local  preachers  were  made  six  times  as 
efficient  as  formerly. 

As  these  converts  went  singing  home  late 
on  the  first  evening,  an  old  heathen  heard 
them  and  said  he  would  go  to  the  meeting  ; 
so  he  took  his  two  sticks  and  hobbled  eight 
miles  to  Annshaw,  and  got  there  time  enough 
for  the  sunrise  praj-er  meeting  and  was  truly 
converted.  But  he  had  to  give  up  one  of  his 
wives,  but  this  he  did  readilj',  retaining  his 
first  wife  and  giving  up  his  young  wife  and 
his  children. 

Persecutions  arose  and  a  bitter  opposition 
manifested  itself,  a  numl)er  wei-e  compelled 
to  keep  away  from  the  meetings,  but  the 


40 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


work  went  on.  Charles  Pamla  went  to  an- 
other place  and  preached  with  so  much  power 
that  eighty  professed  to  be  saved. 

FORT  BEAUFORT, 

and  ihe  dishict  had  about  thirteen  thousand 
inhiibitanis,  and  the  Wesleyans  had  a  chapel 
that  would  hold  four  hundred.  This  was  the 
place  where  Mr.  Taylor  held  his  next  meet- 
ing. Many  came  from  the  former  places  of 
his  labors  to  enjoy  this  spiritual  feast.  The 
first  service  was  on  the  Sabbath.  The  house 
was  filled  with  power  and  packed  with  peo- 
ple. In  the  afternoon  he  preached  to  the 
children  and  in  the  evening  quite  a  number 
were  converted. 

On  Monday  he  preached  to  believers  and 
in  the  evening  the  work  went  on  graciously, 
some  leading  citizens  were  seeking  God.  On 
Wednesday  he  preached  on  Christian  Perfec- 
tion with  blessed  results.  During  these  ser- 
vices sixty-five  whites  professed  to  find 
Christ.  One  man  when  he  found  salvation, 
said,  "  Talk  about  sacrificing  all  for  Christ ! 
"What  had  I  to  sacrifice  but  my  sins  and  all 
my  abominations?  A  sacrifice,  indeed!  Why 
it's  a  glorious  riddance." 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 


41 


HEALD  TO\^^^. 

was  the  place  of  bis  next  labors.  Tbe  \Yes- 
leyan  chapel  will  bold  about  eight  hundred. 
The  first  service  was  to  the  natives,  but 
Charles  Pamla  was  not  there  to  interpret ; 
but  they  found  a  Kaffir  boy,  wbo,  after  pri- 
vate instructions  from  Mr.  Taylor,  answered 
a  good  purpose.  His  name  was  Siko.  He 
put  the  sentences  into  Kaffir  very  rapidly. 
An  extraordinary  power  rested  upon  the  au- 
dience. Silence  reigned,  except  the  sup- 
pressed sobs.  After  the  sermon  the  simplicity 
of  the  gospel  was  explained,  and  the  way  of 
salvation  by  faith,  and  when  they  were  in- 
vited, about  thi'ee  hundred  rushed  forward  to 
take  the  kingdom  by  storm.  They  all  prayed 
audibly,  and  the  floor  was  wet  with  their 
tears,  yet  none  seemed  to  be  crying  louder 
than  their  neighbors.  The  pastor  was  afraid, 
but  God  was  in  the  movement. 

Fourteen  whites  were  among  the  seekers. 
As  soon  as  any  one  was  converted  he  was 
placed  in  a  seat  on  the  side  of  the  pulpit  and 
had  an  opportunity  to  testify  for  Christ. 
One  hundred  and  thirty-nine  natives  and 
seven  whites  gave  their  names  as  converted 
in  one  service,  which  lasted  five  hours. 


42  THE  BTsnop  or  Africa. 


In  a  few  diiys  after  ho  held  another  ser- 
vice ill  the  same  place,  at  which  God's  power 
was  manifested  almost  as  on  the  Day  of  Pen- 
tecost. It  surpassed  anything  Mr.  Taylor 
ever  saw.  It  was  as  the  Spirit  of  God  mov- 
ing upon  the  waters,  yea,  as  the  Spirit  that 
moved  in  the  valley  of  dry  bones  and  raised 
them  up  an  exceeding  great  army. 

Mr.  Taylor's  soul  was  mightily  stirred  as 
he  saw  this  wonderful  manifestation  of  God's 
power,  as  he  thought  of  the  millions  beyond 
who  had  never  heard  the  name  of  Jesus. 
He  writes,  "Oh,  I  felt  that,  dearly  ae  I 
loved  my  country,  my  conference,  my  home, 
and  above  all  my  dear  family,  if  it  were  the 
Lord's  will  to  adjust  my  relations  satisfac- 
torily in  regard  to  those  sacred  interests,  and 
call  me  to  this  work,  /  would  hail  it  as  a 
privilege  to  lead  a  hand  of  black  native  evan- 
gelists through  the  African  continent,  till 
'  Ethiopia  '  would  not  only  '  stretch  out  her 
hands, ^  but  embrace  Christ,  through  the  pow- 
er of  the  Holy  Ghost,  from  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  to  the  Mediterranean." 

This  was  a  prophetic  sentence,  uttered  in 
the  Holy  Ghost,  uttered  nearly  thirty  years 
before  it  was  fulfilled,  for  while  I  am  writing 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 


43 


these  lines  this  marvellous  evangelist  is  lead 
ing  a  band  of  evangelists  through  the  dark 
continent,  a  band  of  between  forty  and  fifty 
men,  women  and  children,  who,  with  him- 
self, have  taken  their  lives  in  their  hands  and 
are  willing  to  lay  down  their  lives  to  promote 
the  Redeemer's  Kingdom  among  the  sable 
sons  of  Ham.  Instead  of  being  a  baud  of 
black  evangelists  they  are  a  white  band,  and 
better  than  all,  their  hearts  have  been  washed 
and  made  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb. 

At  the  second  service  at  Heald  Town  there 
were  one  hundred  and  sixty-seven  converted, 
making  a  total  for  two  services  of  three  hun- 
dred and  six  natives  and  ten  whites  saved, 
"  By  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  the  re- 
newing of  the  Holy  Ghost,  shed  forth  abun- 
dantly upon  them  through  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord." 

' '  If  the  stirring  incidents  and  scenes  of 
those  tw^o  services  could  be  recorded,  they 
w^ould  fill  a  volume  ;  but  they  were  really  in- 
describable." One  after  another  would  rise 
up  and  with  tears  and  ti'embling,  with  spark- 
ling eyes  and  beaming  countenance,  one 
would  exclaim,  "  Satan  is  conquered  !  Satan 
is  conquered !  "    An  old  lady  lifted  up  her 


44  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


eyes  and  hands  tct  God  and  for  ten  minutes 
at  the  top  of  her  voice,  exclaimed,  "  He  is 
holy  !  He  is  holy  !  He  is  holy  !  "  An  old 
man  cried  out,  "  My  Father  has  set  me  free  I 
my  Father  has  set  me  free  !" 

Brother  Sargent,  the  pastor,  wrote  some 
time  after,  "  I  am  happy  to  say  that  the  good 
work  still  prospers  at  Heald  Town.  About 
sixty  more  have  found  peace  since  you  left. 
More  would  have  been  saved,  but  I  have 
had  to  be  away  so  much."  Some  would 
plead  for  the  pardon  of  their  sins  till  daylight. 
"The  valleys  and  rocks  below  the  Mission 
house  are  literally  vocal  with  the  cries  of 
penitents,  morning,  noon  and  night." 

Mr.  Temples,  the  native  teacher,  though 
not  a  poet,  wrote  a  poem  as  by  inspiration, 
about  this  work.    I  quote  only  a  few  verses  : 

"  Equipped  with  the  whole  armor  of  his  God, 
Prepared  to  fight  the  battles  of  his  Lord ; 

Hi-^  willing  '  feet  with  gospel  peace  well  shod,' 
And  holding  in  his  hand  the  Spirit's  sword. 

The  righteous  breast  plate  and  faith's  mighty  shield 
Adorned  his  front,  and  turned  liell's  dart  aside. 

The  law  of  truth  which  God  to  man  revealed, 
Begiit  his  loins,  and  was  his  strength  and  guide. 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 


45 


With  simple,  earnest,  supplicating  prayer 
And  labor  hard,  he  made  his  armor  shine ; 

Did  all  thy  servants,  Lord,  such  'quipmeut  wear. 
T.he  fallen  race  of  man  would  soon  be  Thine. 

He  saw  the  motley  throng  before  him  rise, 

Whose  blood  'neath  skins  of  various  hues  did  run, 

Yet  souls  alike  redeemed  with  highest  price 
The  precious  blood  of  God's  beloved  Son. 

Now  think  awhile,'  he  said,  '  let  conscience  live. 
Yourselves  your  judges  be;  then  thus  inquire — 
Can  God  be  just,  and  yet  my  sins  forgive, 
Or  must  I  dwell  with  the  devouring  fire?' 

'  The  powers  of  darkness  raged ;  it  was  their  hour , 
Souls  long  in  bondage  held,  and  captive  led. 

Were  struggling  to  be  freed  from  Satan's  power. 
Which  held  them  bound,  though  Christ  had  bruised 
his  head. 

With  tongue  of  seraphic  fire,  the  herald  cried, 
'  Believe  in  Christ; '  this  is  the  record  true 

To  save  a  guilty  world,  the  Saviour  died. 
He  tasted  death  for  all  —  He  died  for  YOU  I 

A  ray  of  light  appeared,  then  Satan  thron'd, 
His  greatest  cfibrts  made  '  To  keep  in  peace 

His  house  and  goods '  which  he  so  long  had  owned. 
But  Jesus  came  and  gave  the  soul  release." 

Ten  months  after  the  pastor  writes,  that 
out  of  about  four  hundred  that  professed  con- 
version, not  more  than  two  or  three  of  them 


46 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


had  failed  to  attend  class  meeting  up  to  the 
time  of  my  leaving  Ileald  Town. 

The  old  members  were  greatly  quickened. 
The  local  preachers  and  class  leaders  were 
aroused  to  a  sense  of  their  responsibility. 
New  leaders  and  local  preachers  were  raised 
up.  The  Sabbath-school  was  doubled.  The 
young  people  in  bands  would  hold  prayer 
meetings  in  the  fields  alone. 

SOMERSET  EAST. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  June,  Brother 
Sargent  accompanied  Brother  Taylor  to  Ade- 
laide, twenty  miles  on  his  way  to  Somerset, 
where  he  preached  at  2.30.  After  the  meet- 
ing he  rode  twenty  miles  further  to  Bedford. 
]VIr.  Edwards,  the  pastor  at  Somerset,  with 
his  cart  and  four,  carried  the  evangelist  the 
last  forty  miles,  to  his  own  home.  Soin(!r- 
set  is  the  centre  of  a  district  containing  al)out 
10,000  inhabitants.  The  Wesleyan  chapel  is 
small.  Some  came  from  fifty  to  seventy 
miles  to  attend  these  meetings.  At  each  na- 
tive service  the  chapel  was  crowded.  Over 
fifty  were  converted  in  the  two  native  ser- 
vices held  and  over  twenty-five  whites  were 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA. 


47 


saved.  This  world-wide  evangelist  was  soon 
on  the  wing,  and  the  next  place  of  his  labors 
was 

CRADOCK. 

Mr.  Sargent  carried  him  forty  miles  on  his 
way,  to  "Dagga  Boer,"  where  he  spent  the 
night  and  stayed  in  the  house  of  Mr.  John 
TroUips  and  preached  to  the  people.  The 
next  day  he  was  carried  forty  miles  further 
through  the  blinding  dust.  This  brought 
him  to  Cradock  all  covered  with  dust,  so  that 
they  had  to  dispose  of  their  surplus  "real 
estate,"  in  the  form  of  a  very  uncomfortable 
accumulation  of  dust.  This  place  had  a  much 
larger  proportion  of  temperance  people  than 
he  had  found  elsewhere.  It  is  five  hundred 
and  fifty  miles  from  Cape  Town.  The 
mountains  in  Ibis  region  do  not  rise  in  regu- 
lar ranges,  ))ut  stand  out  in  every  direction, 
clearly  defined  in  a  peculiarly  transparent 
atmosphere  of  that  region,  in  isolated  gran- 
deur. Huge  granite  mountains  with  many 
perpendicular  lines,  shaped  like  the  roof  and 
gable  end  of  a  bouse,  yet  rising  to  an  altitude 
of  six  or  seven  thousand  feet. 


48  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 

Mr.  Taylor  began  his  labors  in  this  place 
by  preaching  to  the  KafErs  at  7  A.  M.  through 
an  interpreter.  The  blessed  Spirit  was  there 
but  there  was  no  time  for  a  prayer  meeting. 
The  same  day  he  preached  three  times  to  the 
whites,  and  twelve  professed  to  find  peace. 
Here  he  preached  to  the  Dutch  through  an 
interpreter,  and  in  the  prayer  meeting  after 
preaching,  thirty  gave  their  names  as  new 
converts.  As  opportunity  afforded,  the  new 
converts  wei-e  allowed  to  testify,  and  their 
testimonies  would  often  lead  others  to  seek 
after  God. 

At  one  time  he  preached  to  the  whites  and 
natives  in  a  court-yard  back  of  the  mission 
house.  The  central  group  of  the  audience 
was  composed  of  Kaffirs  and  Hottentots  of 
every  color  and  of  every  variety  of  native 
costume.  They  brought  their  sleeping-mats 
and  spread  them  down  to  sit  and  kneel  upon. 
Many  of  the  Kaffirs  neither  understood  the 
English  or  the  Dutch,  so  Mr.  Taylor  had  one 
interpreter  speak  in  the  Dutch,  then  another 
would  interpret  into  Kaffir ;  and  thus  he 
reached  all  classes  in  one  sermon.  For  more 
than  an  hour  the  gospel  truths  were  thus  dis- 
pensed in  three  languages  at  once  without  the 


EVANGELIST  IN  AFRICA.  49 

break  of  a  single  blunder,  or  a  moment's  hes- 
itation ;  men,  women  and  children  wept  while 
angels  rejoiced.  At  the  close,  scores  of 
Kaffirs  knelt  to  seek  after  God  with  erics  and 
tears.  The  whites  knelt  in  the  dust  and 
cried  to  God.  A  wonderful  scene  followed, 
and  many  were  truly  converted ;  so  that  in 
all  the  services  there  were  over  seventy 
whites  and  fifty  natives  that  passed  from 
death  into  life,  and  the  work  went  steadilj'^on 
afterwards ;  so  that  about  three  hundred  of 
all  classes  were  saved. 

More  than  eighty  miles  from  Cradock  is 

QUEENSTOWN, 

the  next  field  of  evangelistic  labor.  This 
town  is  situated  in  the  midst  of  a  beautiful 
fertile  region  of  country,  with  beautiful  vales, 
extensive  plains  and  high  mountains.  Many 
Christian  friends  came  from  other  places 
on  purpose  to  attend  these  meetings ;  one 
came  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles.  Some 
whole  families  were  saved  in  these  meetings 
which  extended  through  five  days ;  with 
throe  services  on  the  Sabliath  and  two  on  tho 
week  days.    The  man  who  came  one  huu- 


50 


THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


dred  and  twenty 'miles  had  his  two  sons  con- 
verted. 

Pending  these  meetings  at  Queenstown,  he 
went  with  a  number  of  ministers  to  preac  h 
one  sermon  to  the  natives  at  Lesseytou  and 
found  six  hundred  hungry  souls.  But  ho 
utterly  failed  because  his  interpreter  did  not 
understand  English.  In  utter  mortification 
he  closed  the  meeting,  aud  began  to  think  of 
his  absolute  need  of  Charles  Pamla  to  go 
with  him  and  translate. 

KAMASTONE. 

This  mission  was  commenced  in  1847  by 
Mr.  Shepherd.  Here  Mr.  Taylor  began 
meetings,  July  14.  The  church  was  crowded. 
Many  farmers  had  come  twenty  miles, 
besides  one  hundred  bastard  Hottentots,  with 
a  variety  of  Kaffirs  and  Fingoes.  The  Holy 
Ghost  fell  upon  them  while  the  word  M  as 
preached.  At  length,  the  pent-up  feelings 
and  smothered  emotions  were  so  powei'ful 
that  one  man  rushed  out  of  the  house,  that 
he  might  give  expression  to  his  feelings. 

In  the  afternoon  the  Spirit  pierced  many 
hearts ;  at  the  close,  the  whites  fell  down 
before  the  altar,  while  two  huudred  natives 


EVANGELIST  EST  AFRICA.  51 


were  seeking  pardon.  Now  they  gave  way 
to  their  emotions  mid  floods  of  tears,  sighs 
and  groans. 

These  mighty  meetings  went  on  with 
increasing  power  and  glory,  which  baffled  all 
description.  In  two  days  and  a  half  six  ser- 
mons were  preached  and  five  prayer  meet- 
ings held.  The  pastor  baptized  one  hundred 
and  sixty ;  many  of  them  sufi'cred  persecu- 
tion for  Christ's  sake. 

A  similar  work  of  grace  was  wrought  at 
Lesseyton  and  at  AVarnees  and  Butter- 
worth,  Clarkenburg,  Morley,  Bunting- 
viLLE,  Sha^vbury,  Osborn,  Emeurdisweni 
and  Natal. 

This  marvellous ,  if  not  unequalled  succes- 
sion of  revival  services  went  on  till,  in  the 
short  space  of  seven  months,  there  were 
supposed  to  be  7,937  souls  converted;  of 
these,  1,200  were  colonists  and  the  rest  were 
Kafiirs,  Fingoes  and  Hottentots. 

These  deeply  interesting  facts  have  been 
gathered  from  that  blessed  book,  "Christian 
Adventures  in  South  Africa,"  which  I  advise 
all  true  Christians  to  read.  INIany  will 
wonder  Avhat  kind  of  preaching  could  pro- 
duce such  marvellous  eifects.   We  remark,  — 


52  THE  Bisnop  or  ArracA. 


I.  He  preached  the  law,  as  proclaimed 
from  the  burning  Mount  of  Sinai,  the  hiw 
that  is  holy,  just  and  good,  the  law  that  is 
our  schoolmaster  to  bring  us  to  Christ.  He 
sought  to  kill  before  he  made  alive,  to  con- 
vict before  he  sought  to  point  out  Christ. 

II.  He  preached  the  gospel  in  all  its  won- 
derful and  glorious  provisions  justification, 
rerieneration,  adoption  and  the  witness  of  the 
Spirit,  and  that  no  professor  of  religion 
should  live  without  this  grace. 

HI.  He  preached  entire  sanctification  to 
all  true  believers.  He  preached  it  out  of  the 
Bible  and  out  of  his  own  glorious  experience. 
Indeed,  he  is  an  honest,  simple-hearted,  old- 
fashioned  Methodist  minister,  saved  from  the 
fear  of  man,  of  death,  or  of  devils  ;  who 
dared  to  proclaim  the  whole  truth,  whether 
men  would  hear  or  forbear.  Therefore,  God 
was  pleased  to  honor  him. 

IV.  His  long  experience  in  street  preach- 
ing to  all  nationalities  in  California,  and  in 
nearly  all  the  earth,  gave  him  a  great  power 
over  men  to  persuade  them  to  come  to 
Christ. 


FULFILLmG  HIS  MISSION.  53 


CHAPTEE  m. 

WILLIAJVI    TAYXOR    FULFILLINa    HIS  MISSION. 

In  1867  Wm.  Taylor  and  his  family  sailed 
for  London.  He  lal)orcd  eleven  months  in 
England  and  Scotland.  Then  his  w  ay  ope  ned 
to  pi-cach  on  the  island  of  Barbadocs,  and 
then  in  British  Guiana  in  South  America. 
His  family  had  returned  to  California,  except 
his  oldest  son,  who  was  studying  at  Lausanne. 
This  son's  sickness  called  his  father  back  to 
Europe.  In  LSiiS,  Mr.  Taylor  pursued  his 
labors  in  the  West  Indies,  with  great  suc- 
cess. He  spent  fourteen  months  in  re-visiting 
Australia,  where  the  ministers  had  reported 
a  net  increase  of  members  in  seven  years 
of  over  twenty-one  thousand. 

August  6,  1870,  he  reached  Galle,  Ceylon, 
where  God  gave  him  one  thousand  converts, 
one-tenth  of  whom  were  fresh  from  Budd- 
hism, and  many  from  the  ranks  of  nominal 
Christians. 


54  THE  BISHOP  or  AFKICA. 


November  20,.  1870,  he  reached  the  har- 
bor of  Bomljay,  India.  After  spending  a 
few  days  in  the  city,  he  started  for  the  North- 
west provinces,  where  the  American  missions 
were  planted.  After  helping  our  mission- 
aries in  many  ways  for  a  number  of  months, 
God  opened  his  way  to  establish  self-sup- 
porting missions  among  the  English-speaking 
people  of  Bombay,  Madras,  Calcutta  and 
other  central  cities.  His  plan  was  to  locate 
himself  in  a  city,  and  stay  there  till  souls 
were  converted,  a  church  was  organized,  a 
meeting  house  built  and  a  missionary  ap- 
pointed. Observe  in  all  these  travels  and 
labors,  he  paid  his  own  expenses  and  sup- 
ported his  family  from  his  own  resources. 
At  tlie  same  time  he  instructed  the  people  to 
pay  for  their  churches  as  soon  as  they  were 
built,  and  meet  all  their  running  expenses, 
and  thus  his  missions  have  kept  out  of  debt. 

Aliout  this  time  he  l)egan  to  call  for  volun- 
teer missionaries  from  America,  who  were 
willing  to  come  out  and  live  among  and  of 
the  people  to  wliom  they  preached,  indepen- 
dent of  all  missionary  help,  and  the  people 
pledged  to  sustain  those  that  came.  The 
first  man  to  accept  this  offer  was  Mr.  liob- 


FIILFrLLIXG  HIS  MISSION. 


55 


bins,  a  graduate  of  Asbury  University,  who 
went  out  to  India  without  official  appoint- 
ment, and  paid  his  own  passage ;  who,  be- 
sides toiling  in  the  English-speaking  work, 
learned,  in  the  first  year,  to  preach  in  the 
Marathi  language. 

These  missions  multiplied  on  every  hand, 
and  one  missionary  after  another  went  out 
from  America  to  take  charge  of  them.  The 
missionary  society  in  some  instances  paid 
their  passage-money,  but  no  more.  This 
whole  thing  was  an  irregularity  in  the  INIeth- 
odist  church,  but  it  was  so  practical,  that 
Bishop  Harris  went  out  to  India,  and  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Taylor  superintendent  of  the 
South  India  Missions.  Since  then  these  mis- 
sions have  been  organized  into  a  separate 
conference,  and  they  are  spreading  out  into 
the  "  regions  beyond."  A  number  of  suc- 
cessful camp-meetings  have  been  held  among 
them. 

Thus  a  new  dispensation  of  missionary 
labor  has  been  established,  which  is  to  do 
much  toward  evangelizing  the  whole  world. 
Mr.  Taylor  tc\h  the  converts  to  expect  per- 
secution, and  to  bear  it  for  Christ's  sake.  He 
sends  them  out  among  their  fi-iends  and  their 


56 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


enemies  to  tell  them  what  great  things  Christ 
has  done  for  them,  and  they  have  been  won- 
derfully successful  in  leading  their  friends  to 
Christ. 

Not  being  able  to  have  men  sent  out  fast 
enough,  Mr.  Taylor  came  to  this  country, 
went  round  to  the  camp-meetings,  sold  large 
quantities  of  his  books,  and  sent  out  quite  a 
number  of  men  to  India  at  his  own  expense. 

He  remarks  that  he  was  not  sent  out  by 
any  missionary  society,  and  did  not  com- 
mence his  work  among  the  English  and 
Eurasians  in  the  name  of  any  denomination 
of  Christians.  He  had  been  laboring  in 
foreign  fields  and  helping  missionaries  of  all 
societies  of  Christendom,  and  was  glad  to  be 
honored  with  an  opportunity  of  helping  them 
to  get  the  trains  on  the  tracks  they  had  laid, 
and  to  gather  in  the  Pentecostal  harvests  of 
souls,  resulting  from  so  many  years  of  unre- 
quited toil. 

"  But  when  I  struck  the  English  and  the 
Eurasian  stratum  of  society  in  Bombay,  I 
found  myself  outside  of  church  organization. 
I  at  once  formed  our  converts  into  '  fellow- 
ship bands  ; '  self-supporting  and  self-acting 
bodies  of  agency  for  their  heathen  neighbors. 


FULTILLIXG  HIS  MISSION.  57 


I  knew  not  at  the  beginning  what  organic 
shape  or  name  God  would  give  to  those  New 
Testament  churches  held  in  the  houses  of  our 
leading  members." 

At  length  these  bauds  desired  to  belong  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  sent  in  a 
petition  to  Mr.  Taylor  to  have  a  regular 
Methodist  church  organized,  which  was  done 
and  Mr.  Taylor  was  their  pastor  till  reinforce- 
ments were  sent  on  from  America.  Thus  be- 
gan the  wonderful  movement  of 

THE  PRINCIPLE  OF  SELF-SUPPORT. 

The  Pauline  plan  of  missionary  work  must 
now  be  considered  as  set  forth  by  Mr.  Tay- 
lor. He  claims  that  in  the  gospel  system 
there  are  three  financial  principles,  with  their 
appropriate  methods  of  work. 

I.  The  Pioneer  Principle  is  that  which 
governs  men  who  go  out  at  their  own  cost 
and  without  any  guarantee  of  compensation. 

It  The  Commercial  Principle  is  applicable 
to  opened  fields,  proceeds  on  the  line  of  esti- 
mated values, covering  the  law  of  demand  and 
suj)pihj.  First,  In  relation  to  labor  and  com- 
pensation. Second,  In  regard  to  all  varie- 
ties of  commercial  equivalents. 


58  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


Under  the  gospel  utilization  of  the  first 
principle,  the  pioneer  ambassador  for  Christ 
pays  liis  own  expenses  and  preaches  free  of 
charge.  Paul  and  Barnabas  and  the  rest  of 
the  apostles  exemplified  this  principle.  St. 
Paul  had  no  particular  pleasure  in  making 
tents  but  he  ministered  to  his  own  necessities 
and  to  those  that  were  with  him. 

Dr.  Coke  sustained  himself  by  his  inheri- 
tance. Wesley  by  his  authorship.  Most  of 
the  pioneer  work  of  Methodism  in  the  Old 
and  in  the  New  world  has  been  done  on  prin- 
ciple number  one,  by  local  preachers  and  by 
laymen  and  women. 

Under  principle  number  two  "The  Lord 
has  ordained,"  as  under  the  Jewish  economy, 
so  in  the  Christian  dispensation  that  "They 
that  preach  the  gospel  shall  live  of  the 
gospel." 

"  Under  these  two  principles  Methodism 
had  its  birth  and  its  development  in  England 
and  America  to  stalwart  manhood  before  it 
had  any  Missionary  Societies,  and  the  same  is 
true  of  all  the  branches  of  the  church." 

III.  The  principle  number  three  is  the 
Chavitij  Principle. 

It  is  that  of  sending  the  gospel  prepaid,  to 


FULFILLING  mS  MISSION. 


59 


poor  people  who  are  not  able  to  support  the 
ministers  sent  among  them.  Under  this 
principle  all  the  asylums,  almshouses,  hospi- 
tals and  charities  of  every  kind  are  started 
and  carried  forward.  All  the  jMissionary  So- 
cieties are  based  on  this  heaven-born  princi- 
ple. They  constitute  the  greatest  benevolent 
institutions  in  the  world.  IVtr.  Taylor  claims 
to  have  the  highest  possil)le  appreciation  of 
these  societies  and  for  the  missionaries  that 
labor  under  them,  having  labored  with  many 
of  these  missionaries  in  many  parts  of  the 
world. 

He  writes  as  follows:  "In  planting  and 
prosecuting  the  self-supporting  mission  work 
to  which  God  has  called  me,  it  is  necessary 
to  show  that  I  am  proceeding  regularly  un- 
der a  clearly  defined  gospel  charter,  giving 
me  the  right  of  way  among  the  nations,  yet 
in  no  way  to  hinder,  but  in  many  ways  to 
help  these  great  benevolent  missionary  oi- 
ganizations  in  their  work." 

Mr.  Taylor  claims  that  the  mission  work 
of  the  world  can  be  carried  on  to  a  great  ex- 
tent on  the  two  first  principles,  and  that  those 
principles  appeal  to  the  better  class  of  Ro- 
manists and  heathen,  and  that  this  is  a 


60  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


better  way  to  reaclj  them,  and  to  a  great  ex- 
tent the  only  way,  and,  therefore,  the  great 
work  of  converting  this  world  ought  to  he 
done  and  can  he  done  without  going  on  the 
charity  principle.  That  it  is  better  for  the 
people  to  pay  an  equivalent  for  the  labor  of 
the  missionary  than  to  have  it  free.  That 
this  principle  tends  to  make  the  people  more 
independent  and  self-dependent.  And  be- 
sides as  it  takes  so  much  time  to  raise  the 
money,  send  out  and  sustain  the  missionaries 
on  the  charity  principle,  that,  therefore,  the 
other  principles  ought  to  be  put  into  the  most 
vigorous  operation,  not  to  hinder  but  to  help 
the  missionary  societies  to  convert  the  wicked 
world  to  Christ.  Besides,  the  very  idea  that 
the  missionary  is  a  charity  agent,  bestowing 
the  benefactions  of  other  people,  tends  to 
keep  the  well-to-do  part  of  the  community 
away  from  them,  because  they  do  not  Avant 
to  be  considered  as  objects  of  charity,  when 
they  are  well  able  to  pay  an  equivalent  for  all 
they  need  and  would  rather  pay  for  the  gospel 
laborers  than  have  their  labors  as  a  gift. 
Plence  it  is  a  fact,  as  Mr.  Taylor  certifies, 
that  many  of  the  converts  in  heathen  lands 
are  from  the  poorest  of  the  poor,  while  Paul's 


FULFILLING  HIS  MISSION.  61 


plan  was  first  to  reach  the  educated  and  influ- 
ential jjeople  of  the  great  cities  of  the  Roman 
world."  Mark  well  this  point :  Twelve  years 
ago  Mr.  Ta}' lor  submitted  to  the  authorities 
of  the  church  the  question  of  whether  or  not 
the  gospel,  under  the  apostolic  principles 
and  methods  of  self-support  should  have  a 
recognition  in  heathen  countries,  and  that  he 
be  allowed  to  build  up  loyal  churches  in  those 
countries  through  indigenous  or  native  sup- 
port. Churches  to  take  rank  in  paternal  re- 
lationship, with  all  the  rights  and  privileges 
of  self-supporting  churches  at  home,  without 
the  sponsorship  of  a  Missionary  Society. 

At  the  last  General  Conference  William 
Taylor  brought  up  this  question  in  the  form 
of  a  resolution,  which  in  substance  was  car- 
ried ;  showing  that  the  great  legislative  body 
of  the  church  endorsed  his  methods  of  work. 
The  great  endorsement  of  his  methods 
was  in  electing  him  a  bishop. 

It  is  wonderful  how  God  blessed  the  la- 
bors of  Mr.  Taylor  during  his  four  years 
campaign  in  India.  .The  General  Conference 
of  1880  organized  these  missions  into  the 
South  India  Conference  and  the  General  Con- 
ference of  1884  made  provision  for  the  or- 


62 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


ganization  of  a  Central  India  Conference.  It 
is  also  remarkal)le  how  firmly  these  mission- 
aries resist  all  inducements  to  accept  mis- 
sionary money,  and  although  at  times  they 
feel  their  need  of  money,  they  are  fully 
resolved  to  live  and  die  under  the  principle 
of  self-support  on  which  they  started. 

Schools  of  various  grades  have  been  estab- 
lished. A  paper  called  The  India  Watch- 
man has  a  good  list  of  suliscribers.  A  pub- 
lishing house  has  been  organized,  and  books 
and  papers  and  tracts  are  being  scattered 
among  the  millions  of  India.  Only  omnis- 
cience can  see  or  foretell  whereunto  this  thing 
will  grow.  It  is  remarkable  that  so  many 
native  ministers  have  been  raised  up  who 
were  worthy  to  join  the  Conference,  that  the 
natives  out-number  the  Americans  and  so 
they  rule  the  Conference,  and  so  far  they 
have  ruled  it  well. 

In  1882  Mr.  Taylor  said,  "  I  have  sent 
from  America  to  India  within  about  six  years 
and  a  half,  fifty-six  missionaries.  Besides 
these  there  were  fifty-seven  local  preacher's 
of  Indian  bii'th  wlio  sujjport  themselves  and 
yet  preach  ahiio.st  daily.  There  were  two 
thousand  and  forty  members,  one-quarter  of 
them  are  converted  natives.    We  pay  no  re_ 


PLANTED  IN  GREAT  CENTRES.  63 

gardto  "color-lines,"  Fifty  traveling preach- 
ers^nd  their  families  are  supported  fron  In- 
dian resources.  The  pastors  claims  last  3^ear 
were  about  $23,943,  of  which  about  $23,094 
were  paid.  "We  have  twenty-seven  church 
buildings  and  twelve  parsonages.  Brother 
John  Baldwin  of  Berea,  Ohio,  founded  the 
Baldwin  school  in  Bengalore  at  a  cost  of 
$6,000.  Mrs.  Inskip  is  collecting  funds  for 
a  girls'  school  at  Calcutta.  Rev.  C.  B.  Ward 
has  received  $16,000  to  support  and  develop 
his  home  for  orphans.  We  are  planted  down 
in  all  the  great  centres  of  a  population  of 
two  hundred  and  thirty-four  millions." 

Bishop  Foster  in  Z ion's  Herald  gives  a 
glowing  account  of  this  marvellous  develop- 
ment of  the  self-supporting  principle  in  India. 
Sajdng  these  people  are  paying  all  their  ex- 
penses, building  good  churches  and  excellent 
parsonages  and  supporting  nearly  fifty  minis- 
ters. Their  church  property  is  kept  nearly 
out  of  debt.  They  seem  to  glory  in  their 
work  and  to  be  ready  for  greater  things. 
Every  Christian  will  agree  with  me  that  this 
is  a  marvellous  state  of  facts.  At  the  same 
time  he  puts  in  a  strong  plea  for  giving  this 
Conference  assistance  to  develop  more  rapidly 
the  work  among  the  natives. 


64  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

WILLIAM  TAYLOR  IN  SOUTH  AMERICA. 

Our  hero  came  from  India  to  this  country 
to  secure  more  laborers  for  South  India, 
expecting  to  return  and  prosecute  his  great 
work  in  India.  He  found  it  necessary  to 
locate,  because  he  travelled  in  so  many  coun- 
tries that  he  could  hardly  belong  to  any 
Conference ;  but  he  joined  the  South  India 
Conference  at  its  organization.  Having  found 
his  men  for  India  and  sent  them  forward,  he 
went  home  to  see  his  family  in  California, 
—  the  first  time  in  about  seven  years.  Many 
wondered  that  he  did  not  go  to  see  them  as 
soon  as  he  reached  this  countiy,  but  he  told 
me  that  it  was  the  hardest  trial  of  his  life  to 
part  with  his  family,  and  also  for  them  to 
part  with  him.  It  seemed  as  though  he 
could  not  stand  it ;  so  he  put  it  off  as  long 
as  he  could.     Besides  he  was  so  busy  in 


THE  HOLY  GHOST  LEADING.  65 


finding  his  men  and  raising  the  money,  and 
sending  them  forward,  that  he  had  not  time 
to  visit  his  home  till  just  before  he  left  the 
country.  Spending  a  short  time  in  his  home, 
sweet  home,  he  felt  that  he  must  leave  and  be 
about  his  Master's  work.  He  left  his  home 
with  the  fixed  purpose  to  return  to  his  Con- 
ference in  India ;  indeed,  the  bishop  in 
charge  of  that  Conference  requested  him  to 
return  to  his  work ;  but  all  at  once  the  Holy 
Spirit  convinced  him  that  he  must  go  to 
South  America  and  open  up  self-sustaining 
missions  there.  The  Spirit  said  to  him 
when  he  started  twice  to  go  to  India. 

"No,  William  Taylor,  j'ou  must  not  go  to 
India  now,  you  have  established  those  missions 
there,  and  they  are  well  organized.  I  want 
you  to  go  to  South  America  ;  there  are  mil- 
lions of  people  there  who  are  the  next  door 
neighbors  to  the  United  States,  but  Chris- 
tians seem  to  be  afraid  of  them  because  they 
are  under  Catholic  sway.  I  want  you  to  go 
ilown  there  and  establish  missions  all  along 
the  western  coast,  among  the  English- 
speaking  and  enterprizing  people  who  have 
gone  down  there  to  make  money  and  have 
forgotten  the  God  of  their  childhood." 


66  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


' '  But  I  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  the  bishop  says  I  must  go  back 
to  India,  notwithstanding  I  have  told  him  of 
my  call  to  South  America." 

"Tell  the  bishop  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
calls  you  to  go  and  establish  these  missions 
in  South  America,  and  go  and  do  my  bidding 
and  you  shall  prosper." 

In  obedience  to  this  call,  he  left  New 
York,  for  Aspinwall,  as  a  steerage  passenger, 
to  save  money,  October  16,  1877.  Landing 
at  Aspinwall,  he  took  the  train  across  the 
Isthmus  to  Panama,  a  city  of  15,000  people. 
From  there  he  started  for  Guayaquil  and 
Callao,  the  great  seaport  of  Peru.  Lima  is  an 
inland  town  of  120,000  people,  the  capital 
of  Peru.  Here  he  found  eighty  English- 
speaking  Protestant  families.  I  have  neither 
time  nor  space  for  details,  but  suffice  it  to 
say  that  he  found  it  impossible,  at  some 
points,  to  open  places  for  missionaries,  as 
such,  but  he  made  contracts  with  parties  in 
a  numlier  of  cities  that  they  should  forward 
the  funds  to  pay  the  passage  of  a  teacher, 
and  subscribe  so  much  a  month  for  his  sup- 
port after  he  arrived. 

While  doing  this  hard  work  in  that  Cath- 


A  WIIOLE  NIGHT  IN  TRAYER.  67 

olic  country,  his  funds  ran  low,  so  that  he 
found  it  necessary,  for  two  months,  to  live 
upon  seventeen  cents  per  day,  and  still  he 
kept  up  his  bodily  vigor.  At  one  place  he 
could  not  succeed  in  starting  a  school  until 
he  had  spent  a  whole  night  in  prayer. 
Then  the  Spirit  showed  him  that  he  could 
not  do  in  South  America  as  he  did  in  India ; 
that  in  some  places  the}^  would  take  a  mis- 
sionary, and  in  others,  only  a  teacher;  but 
the  teacher  could  be  a  Christian  man,  and 
thus  he  could  open  the  way  for  the  mission- 
ary, or  become  one  himself  in  time. 

One  day,  an  ungodly  man  came  up  to  Mr. 
Taylor  and  threatened  to  shoot  him,  and 
also  the  friend  that  was  with  him.  Mr.  Tay- 
lor seized  the  ban-i-l  of  the  gun,  and  they 
were  both  saved. 

Having  done  his  work  in  South  America, 
he  returned  to  the  United  States,  and  came 
to  Boston,  to  the  University,  and  without  a 
dollar  in  his  pocket,  he  began  to  select 
a  dozen  picked  men  and  women  to  get  readj^ 
to  sail  for  South  America,  before  a  single 
remittance  had  come  to  hand  to  pay  their 
passage. 

The  fii-st    draft  was  from  his  Catholic 


68 


THE  BISIIOr  OF  AFRICA. 


friends  in  Tacna,  for  $436.93  for  the  passage 
of  a  man  and  wife.  But,  by  the  same  mail 
he  got  a  letter  from  Concepciou  saying  that 
it  wai  feared  that  if  a  school  should  com- 
mence, it  would  raise  a  row  among  the  peo- 
ple ;  therefore,  the  money  would  not  be  sent. 
Then  Mr.  Taylor  felt  the  need  of  a  Transii 
Fund,  to  pay  the  passage  of  the  missionaries 
and  teachers,  and  from  that  time,  he  allowed 
his  friends  to  pay  for  the  passage  of  his  co- 
laborers.  He  hurried  round  and  sold  books, 
and  raised  money  to  help  to  tit  out  his  men  and 
women  for  South  America  and  to  secure  for 
them  furniture  for  their  schools,  and  many 
other  things.  The  workers  went  as  steerage 
passengers,  to  save  expense. 

Rev.  J.  \V.  Collier,  my  friend,  whom  I 
baptized  and  received  into  the  church,  was 
one  of  the  first  missionaries  to  South  America, 
also,  his  dear  sister  Edith.  They  both  did 
excellent  service,  and  both  died  in  South 
America,  and  found  a  martyr's  crown  in  the 
heavenly  kingdom.  At  one  time,  Edith  had 
to  walk  thirty  miles  to  attend  class  meeting, 
l>ut  she  was  always  there.  They  were  fully 
consecrated,  and  laid  down  their  lives  for 
Christ. 


FAITH  OF  STEAJ^GERS.  69 

It  was  wonderful  how  Mr,  Taylor  could 
go  down  among  CathoUc  strangers  and  per- 
suade them  to  subscribe  money  for  the  pas- 
sage and  support  of  teachers,  to  a  man  they 
had  never  seen  before  and  may  never  see 
again.  It  shows  the  great  power  that  God 
gave  him,  and  the  confidence  that  they  had 
in  him.  He  says  he  had  the  grip  on  them, 
because  he  paid  his  own  expenses  and 
worlied  Avithout  salary  and  was  working  for 
their  good.  And  besides,  he  would  not 
handle  a  cent  of  their  money,  but  have  it 
sent  on  to  Phillips  &  Hunt,  New  York,  to 
be  paid  out  for  passage  money  and  for  the 
support  of  his  teachers  or  preachers,  who 
were  to  be  paid  monthly. 

This  excellent  work  went  on  from  year  to 
year  till  in  Nov.,  1881,  he  had  forty-three 
teachei's  or  preachers  in  South  America,  be- 
sides those  who  had  died  or  returned  home. 

THE  TRANSIT  FUND. 

It  was  found  necessary  to  establish  a  tran- 
sit fund  to  pay  the  passage  of  his  mission- 
aries, and  God  found  a  man  to  act  as  treasurer 
iu  the  person  of  Eichard  Grant,  whose  ofEca 


70 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


is  on  Hudson  street,  New  York  city,  and 
who  has  just  issued  a  report  of  "Taylor 
Transit  Fund,"  from  July  1,  1884,  to  Feln-u- 
ary  16,  1885,  of  $16,777.73  received  and 
disbursed. 

Mr.  Grant  is  one  of  the  grandest  men  on 
this  footstool,  and  is  wholly  sanctified  to  God 
and  fully  devoted  to  the  spread  of  the  gospel 
to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  ]McDonald  &  Gill 
of  Boston,  Palmer  &  Hughes  of  New  York 
and  T.  T.  Tasker  of  Philadelphia,  are  agents 
to  receive  this  money,  and  give  credit  re- 
spectively in  The  Christian  Witness,  The 
Guide  to  Holiness  and  Tlie  Christian  Stand- 
ard. These  publications  contain  the  letters 
from  William  Taylor  and  his  missionaries. 
Indeed  they  are  great  helpers  in  this  great 
cause  ;  advocating  the  work  and  defending  it 
in  every  possible  way. 

These  South  American  missionaries  have 
been  ordained  from  time  to  time,  and  one  of 
our  bishops  has  travelled  through  South 
America  and  performed  the  duties  of  his 
office  as  opportunity  served. 

There  has  been  some  bitter  persecution  there 
as  may  be  expected  in  such  an  undertaking, 
for  the  Church  of  Rome  is  the  same  the 


SOUTH  AMEEICAN  COUSINS.  71 


^^•ol•ld  over,  and  only  lacks  the  power  to  de- 
stroy Protestantism  off  the  face  of  the  earth. 
In  Santiago  there  was  a  bitter  assault  made 
upon  a  Bible  class,  in  which,  Rev.  Lucius 
Smith  barely  escaped  with  his  life  and  some 
poor  women  were  fearfully  abused,  and  more 
than  $200  worth  of  Bibles  were  burned. 

But,  as  of  old,  "None  of  these  things 
moved  them,"  and  the  good  work  Is  rolling 
on  in  power  to  subdue  these  nine  revolution- 
ary, war-lilie  Eepublics  of  South  America, 
who  are  cursed  with  Spanish  Catholicism,  to 
the  sway  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Brother 
Taylor  wrote  a  book  about  this  time,  called 
"  Our  South  American  Cousins,"  which  is  a 
live  book  on  a  living  subject ;  read  it. 

It  is  just  to  say  that  Brother  Taylor  found 
some  earnest  Christian  workers  in  South 
America.  Padre  Vaughn  was  a  Catholic 
priest,  a  humble,  hard-Avorking  man  of  God. 
Some  years  ago  he  collected  funds  there  and 
had  a  great  number  of  New  Testaments 
printed  and  circulated.  When  William  Tay- 
lor was  in  Callao  5,000  of  these  Testaments 
came  to  port  from  Baxter's  London  House. 

William  Tajdor  reports  that  in  South  and 
Central  America  there  arc  eight  hundred  schol- 


72 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


ars  in  his  day  and  Sunday  schools,  three- 
fourths  of  whom  are  of  Spanish  and  Portu- 
guese blood,  from  which  we  will  gather  the 
first  fruits  of  a  harvest  of  gospel  agency  in 
the  near  future.  In  our  male  and  female 
college  in  Chili  we  have  about  two  hundred 
and  forty  pupils  ;  most  of  them  of  well-to-do 
families.  In  our  Santiago  college  there  are 
twelve  American  missionary  workers.  This 
is  a  wonderful  showing  for  so  short  a  time. 

During  Brother  Taylor's  second  visit  to 
South  America,  he  felt  so  much  the  need  of 
a  college  building  at  Coquimbo,  Chili,  that 
during  his  absence  of  about  ten  months  he 
was  working  with  his  own  hands  a  part  of 
that  time  at  the  carpenter's  bench,  and  was 
superintending  the  erection  of  this  college 
building.  He  worked  six  days  on  the  build- 
ing and  preached  on  the  Sabbath,  and  pushed 
on  the  work  with  the  force  of  a  fully  sancti- 
fied body  and  soul.  He  did  this  that  he 
might  have  a  freehold  footing  in  that  dark 
land,  and  thus  reduce  the  expenses  of  rent 
and  command  a  self-respect  in  the  regions 
around. 

While  working  on  this  building  he  became 
convinced  of  the  need  of  a  building  fund  and 


LOCAL  COM5IITTEE  AT  WORK.  73 


society.  So  he  says,  <' I  determined  to  re- 
turn to  America  and  give  organic  shape  and 
legal  existence  to  our  '  Transit  and  Building 
Fund,'  so  that  we  can  buy  and  hold  property 
for  our  purposes."  I  am  happy  to  record 
that  this  society,  has  been  formed  and  such  a 
lund  has  been  started,  with  $12,000  already 
subscribed,  and  they  purpose  to  build  a 
school  in  Concepcion  as  soon  as  possible. 
The  following  letter  will  give  an  inside  view 
of  the  workings  of  this  great  mission  to  South 
America. 

WILLIAM  Taylor's  work. 

"The  local  Committee  co-operating  with  William 
Taylor  in  his  Mission  work,  composed  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Richard  Grant,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Anderson 
Fowler,  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Asbury  Lowrey,  were 
called  together  May  14,  to  hear  letters  from 
Brother  Taylor  calling  for  more  laborers  to  be 
sent  into  South  America,  and  to  consider  various 
applications  for  employment  in  that  territory  and 
in  India. 

After  praj'er  and  due  consideration,  six  per- 
sons were  accepted  for  the  South  American  Mis- 
sion, to  be  sent  forward  in  May  and  June.  It 
was  also  resolved  to  send  one  to  India,  if  the 
transit  fund  shall  prove  sufficient,  in  answer  to 
Dr.  Thoburn's  appeal  for  more  men. 


74  THE  BISHOP  OF  ATRICA, 


"William  Taylor,  reports  that  the  openings  for 
self-supporting  missions  were  never  more  numer- 
ous or  promising  than  now.  He  finds  inviting 
places  where  Christian  workers  of  both  sexes  can 
be  employed  and  supported,  either  as  school- 
teachers, or  as  teachers  and  preachers,  or  as 
missionaries  who  devote  their  entire  time  to 
evangelistic  work  and  soul-saving. 

William  Taylor's  headquarters  at  present  are 
at  Coquimbo,  Chili,  from  which  he  superintends 
his  whole  field.  He  is  now  traveling  a  large  cir- 
cuit, to  relieve  a  sick  brother,  and  sustains  and 
keeps  up  services  in  a  German  church,  preaching 
for  them  every  Sabbath  while  he  is  out  on  the 
circuit.  (Reader,  1  have  perpetrati'd  a  sort  of 
conundrum.  Do  you  give  it  up  ?  Well,  William 
Taylor  writes  a  sermon  and  leaves  it  to  be  trans- 
lated and  read  in  his  absence.) 

To  this  German  organization  he  reads  and  re- 
cites the  sacramental  service,  and  administers 
the  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  supper,  in  mixed 
English  and  German  as  best  he  can.  This  Teu- 
tonic plant  has  grown  so  fast  that  it  is  almost 
ready  to  walk  about  and  begin  aggressive  work. 

As  indicating  the  hand  of  Providence  in  this 
movement,  we  have  to  note,  that  as  more  doors 
open,  more  self-sacrificing  evangelists  are  offer- 
ing themselves.  Surely,  in  the  light  of  such  en- 
largement and  devotion,  our  consecrated  breth- 


COQUIMBO  COLLEGE. 


75 


ren  and  sisters  will  not  fail  to  replenish  the  tran- 
sit fund. 

The  character  of  the  Missionaries  called  for 
are  holy  men  and  women,  of  sound  bodies,  sound 
minds,  sound  faith  and  sanctified  hearts  and 
lives ;  good  education  —  graduates  from  our 
schools,  if  possible  ;  heroes  willing  to  work,  and 
work  for  nothing,  if  need  be  ;  willing  to  suffer 
and  not  afraid  to  die."  A.  LomiEV. 

Richard  Grant,  the  Treasurer,  says,  "  We 
want  to  make  this  loan  and  building  fund 
$100,000,  and  we  as  the  committee,  have  faith 
that  it  can  be  done." 

I  am  happy  to  report  that  the  college  ])uild- 
ing  at  Coquimbo  is  free  from  debt  and  worth 
$10,000,  and  yet  it  drew  but  $1,200  from  the 
building  fund.  The  following  is  the  latest 
news  along  this  line  : 

New  York,  March  10,  1SS5. 
Dear  Brothers  McDonald  and  Gill,— 

Bishop  William  Taylor's  work  still  lives.  It  is 
of  God,  and  will  never  die.  It  affords  me  great 
pleasure  to  give  you  the  names  of  four  workers 
that  wiU  enter  the  self-supporting  work  of 
Bishop  William  Taylor  in  South  America,  leading 
here  April  1 ,  at  noon  :  — 

Dr.  A.  E.  Baldwin  and  wife,  of  Minnesota,  go 
to  Iquique,  Peru,  to  take  charge  of  school  work, 


76 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


wliicb  will  enable  "Rev.  J.  P.  Gilliland,  preacher- 
iu-chargc,  to  give  all  his  time  to  the  ministry. 
The  "loan  and  building  fund  "  has  purchased 
ground  for  the  erection  of  a  school  there,  which 
will,  we  trust,  be  commenced  this  year. 

Miss  Laura  J.  Hanlon,  daughter  of  Eov. 
Thomas  Hanlon,  D.D.,  principal  of  Pennington 
Seminary,  Pennington,  N.  J.,  also  sails,  as  does 
Miss  Dixie  A.  Wallace,  of  Sturgis,  Mo.,  sister 
of  the  wife  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Horn,  preacher-in- 
charge  at  Coquimbo,  Chili.  Miss  Hanlon  goes 
to  take  charge  of  the  music  department  of  the 
school  that  Bishop  William  Taylor  built  in  Co- 
quimbo, Chili.  Miss  Wallace  will  enter  the  same 
school  as  teacher. 

We  feel  that  God  is  giving  us  some  of  the  best 
men  and  women  in  the  church  for  this  work. 
All  glory  to  His  name  for  His  watchful  care  over 
the  work  !  for  while  some  would  swallow  it  up, 
God  seems  to  say,  "  Touch  not  mine  anointed," 
and  it  moves  on  gloriously.    Amen  ! 

February  10,  Prof.  Willard  L.  Mitchell,  from 
Baltimore,  went  to  Santiago  to  take  charge  of 
the  musical  department  of  the  college  there.  The 
same  day  Rev.  John  M.  Baxter  returned,  having 
come  home  to  be  ordained,  which  took  place  in 
Centenary  M.  E.  Church,  Jersey  City,  March  1, 
by  the  laying  on  of  hands  of  Bishop  Harris. 
March  3,  the  same  brother  was  married  to  Miss 


WOllKEKS  FOR  CALL  AO. 


77 


Bessie  Wright,  my  niece,  who  has  gone  with  him. 
He  has  also  taken  with  him  Brother  Lincoln  E. 
Brown,  from  Pennington,  to  assist  him  in  tlie 
above  work  in  Callao." 

Richard  Grant,  Treas. 


78  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


CHAPTER  V. 

WILLIAM  TAYLOR,  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 

It  was  a  wonderful  chain  of  providence  that 
placed  this  world-wide  evangelist  in  the 
office  of  a  Bi.sliop.  His  travels  were  so  ex- 
tensive that  he  had  to  take  a  location  from 
the  South  India  Conference,  so  that  he  could 
ti-avel,  and  for  a  number  of  years  he  was  a 
located  Elder  in  the  Metliodi.st  Episcopal 
Church  ;  and  as  such  he  was  classed  among 
the  laynu'ii,  ;iiid  therefore  was  eligible  to  elec- 
tion !is  a  lay  delegate  to  the  General  Confer- 
ence that  met  in  Philadelphia,  May  1,  1884. 
So  the  layman's  electoral  Conference  of 
South  India  elected  him  as  one  of  their  dele- 
gates. At  the  time  that  he  was  elected  in 
South  India,  he  was  working  for  God  with 
all  his  might  in  South  America.  So  the  self- 
supporting  Conference  elected  to  General 
Conference  the  great  apostle  of  self-support. 


IN  GENERAL  CONFERENCE. 


79 


This  election  called  him  home,  and  in  duo 
time  he  took  his  seat  in  the  General  Confer- 
ence. Little  did  he  think  that  in  twenty- 
two  days  he  would  be  elected  from  a  located 
Elder  to  a  Bishop.  He  attended  faithfully  to 
his  duties,  and  spoke  but  seldom,  only  when 
he  had  something  of  importance  to  say. 
The  following  is  a  part  of  his  speech  on  the 
question  of  whether  women  should  be  licensed 
to  preach  and  be  ordained. 

William  Taylor  said,  "I  stand  here  to 
speak  for  my  friend  Paul,  who  is  not  here." 
After  speaking  awhile,  he  said,  "Now,  on 
whom  did  Paul  lay  the  legislative  and  admin- 
istrative responsibility  of  the  Church?  Not 
upon  the  women,  but  upon  the  men,  and 
rests  his  authority  for  so  doing  on  God's 
original  law  found  in  the  third  chapter  of 
Genesis.  God  made  man  and  woman  to  go 
together  in  the  same  boat,  and  there  cannot 
be  two  captains  with  the  same  authority  on 
the  same  ship. 

Apart  from  God's  inherent  right  to  rule, 
God  did  not  wish  to  put  his  holy  women  in 
possession  of  these  men  in  General  Confer- 
ence. There  are  plenty  of  men  fit  for  this 
kind  of  work  who  are  not  fit  for  much  else. 


80  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFEICA. 


While  the  fact  is,  with  her  warm  sympathies, 
with  her  heroic  zeal,  with  her  undaunted 
courage,  the  last  at  the  Cross  and  the  first  at 
the  Sepulchre,  the  woman,  with  her  patience 
and  love,  was  needed  all  the  time  at  the 
front.  He  did  not  want  her  to  spend  her 
precious  time  in  coming  to  General  Confer- 
ences, bearing  its  burdens  of  legislation  and 
of  keeping  order  in  the  churches." 

This  is  but  a  part  of  his  speech,  but  will 
show  the  drift  of  his  thoughts. 

The  following  paper  was  submitted  to  the 
General  Conference  by  William  Taylor  and 
was  substantially  adopted,  as  will  be  seen 
by  reference  to  EeportXVI.  of  the  Commit- 
tee on  IVIissions : — 

Resolved,  Tliat  it  is  lawful  and  right  to  get 
people  converted  to  God,  and  to  organize  them 
into  self-supporting  Methodist  Episcopal  churches 
in  foreign  countries,  just  as  we  have  always  been 
accustomed  to  do  in  the  United  States ;  and  that 
such  churches,  under  the  jurisdiction  of  our 
Bishops,  fullilling  the  disciplinary  conditions  of 
membership,  shall  be  eligible  to  a  direct  legiti- 
mate relation  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
without  being  put  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
Missionary  Society  ;  such  churches  opposing  no 


MAESHAI.  W.  TAYLOR. 


81 


bar,  but  assisting  the  Missionary  Society  in  tbeit 
■work -of  founding  missions  among  the  poor  in  the 
same  countries. 

II.  That  the  rule  under  which  young  ministers 
may  be  ordained  for  foreign  work  at  the  begin- 
ning, instead  of  the  end,  of  their  probation,  may 
be  made  applicable  to  ministers  sent  to  foreign 
self-supporting  fields. 

III.  That  the  Bishops  be  authorized  to  organize 
the  West  Coast  Conference  of  South  America  as 
soon  as  they  shall  deem  it  advisable. 

This  was  a  most  important  matter,  not 
merely  because  it  adopted  Mr.  Taylor's 
methods  of  work,  but  more  because  it  fixed 
the  policy  of  the  church  for  the  future. 
When  it  was  proposed  to  fix  the  residence  of 
one  Bishop  in  India,  Marshal  W.  Taylor 
moved  to  strike  out  the  word  "India,"  and 
put  in  the  word  "  Africa,"  and  then  said  :  — 

Mr.  President,  there  are  three  reasons  why  we 
ask  this.  The  first  is  a  poetic  one.  Your  fathers 
brought  my  fathers  to  live  in  America.  I  would 
get  even  in  the  matter  by  compelling  at  least  one 
white  man  to  live  in  Africa. 

My  next  reason  is  a  commercial  one.  There 
is  a  vast  continent  with  200,000,000  of  Africans, 
not  all  of  them  black  Africans.    They  are  the 


82 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


Rarbary  States,  Tripoli,  Moi'occo,  and  Egypt, 
containing  many  Europeans.  There  is  West 
Africa,  and  Soutli  Africa,  with  its  Europeans  and 
its  \.inericans.  There  is  the  great  centre  of  that 
ouiitry  teeming  with  millions  of  men  and  mil- 
lions of  women  who  wait  for  the  Gospel,  who 
wait  for  a  general  that  will  lead  the  hosts  of 
Israel  to  victory.  There  is  a  countr}-  rich  in 
minerals,  abounding  in  precious  timber,  a  coun- 
try that,  if  it  is  brought  into  closer  commercial 
relations  with  this  country,  would  offer  profitable 
employment  for  thousands.  One  hundred  and 
fifty  tliousand  colored  men  have  their  names  now 
upon  a  petition  that  will  come  before  the  Con- 
gress of  this  nation,  asking  it  to  open  a  mail  line 
of  steamers  between  this  country  and  Africa.  A 
Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  living 
in  Africa,  would  tend,  sir,  in  my  opinion,  to 
quicken  and  foster  these  great  commercial  rela- 
tions which  ought  to  exist  between  these  great 
coiuitries. 

I  am  in  haste,  because  I  do  not  wish  to  detain 
you,  and  I  proceed  to  give  my  third  reason,  which 
is  an  ecclesiastical  reason.  We  have  a  right  to 
supervise  the  work  of  God  in  Africa.  We  have 
ton  Bishops  now,  and  we  will  have  three,  four  or 
five  more  for  Africa,  so  far  as  visits  are  concerned. 
AVe  want  one  of  them  to  live  in  Africa,  so  that 
the  people  in  Liberia  and  King  Jimmy's  Land, 
and  Dahomy,  and  the  people  in  Transvaal,  and 


PLEA  FOR  AFRICA. 


83 


the  people  in  Boerland,  that  all  the  people  in 
in  these  countries  may  learn  more  of  the  great 
movements  of  this  Church  and  more  of  the 
blessed  Church  in  this  localit}*. 

There  are  men  waiting  for  orders  to  move  in 
Africa.  We  are  told  that  the  interests  in  India 
are  superabundant,  and  that  we  have  10,000 
Methodists  there.  We  have  26,000  Methodists 
in  Africa.  We  have  more  than  1,000  Methodists 
in  Liberia  that  belong  to  this  Church.  We  have 
a  Conference  that  is  in  regular  motion  there.  We 
have  a  work  in  that  country  that  no  one  can  do 
so  well  as  the  Bishops  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  the  missionaries  of  that  Church. 

Now,  we  come  to  you,  in  view  of  these  facts, 
and  ask  you  to  strike  out  this  word  India,  and 
put  in  the  word  Africa,  your  oldest  missionary 
work,  upon  which  you  have  poured  out  money 
and  men.  I  imagine  myself  standing  this  morn- 
ing by  the  grave  of  Miss  Michener.  I  imagine 
that  there  are  gathered  around  me  the  shades  of 
Cookman,  Burns,  Cox  and  Roberts.  I  imagine 
that  they  are  sa3ing  to  me:  "  Send  a  Bishop, 
not  a  piece  of  a  one,  but  a  complete,  full  Bishop, 
to  live  here,  to  do  the  work  of  saving  this  dark 
continent  for  Christ." 

This  speech  went  far  toward  the  election  of 
a  Bishop  for  Alrica.     And  the  following 


84 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


speeches  by  William  Taylor  went  on  in  the 
same  direction,  and  will  be  read  with  in- 
terest. 

William  Taylor  of  South  India  said  : — 

"  Both  of  the  Conferences  of  Endia  did  petition 
this  Conference  for  a  resident  JBishop.  But  I 
may  add,  we  do  not  press  the  petition  beyond 
what  you  may  consider  safe  and  proper.  We 
had  much  rather  take  the  risk  of  delay  than  the 
risk  of  too  hasty  legislation  on  the  subject.  The 
phase  that  has  not  been  touched,  and  that  is  vital 
to  this  question,  is  the  principle  of  self-support 
in  our  self-supporting  Conference.  The  prin- 
ciple is  advocated  in  all  the  Conferences,  but 
realized  in  the  South  India  Conference  from  its 
beginning.  Of  course,  he  would  have  to  com- 
pete with  seven  English  Bishops  in  India,  four  of 
them  full-fledged,  and  three  of  them  Missionary 
Bishops  If  he  hopes  to  stand  alongside  of 
them,  he  must  have  a  Bishop's  palace.  If  not  a 
full  retinue,  he  must  have  his  coach  and  two,  fix 
his  metropolitan  city,  and  have  his  man-servant 
to  go  with  him  wherever  he  goes  in  all  his  travels, 
to  take  care  of  him  by  day  and  put  him  to  bed  at 
night.    That  is  the  custom  of  the  country. 

The  cattle  of  Wyoming  in  countless  millions 
are  developed  on  the  principle  of  self-support. 
Sometimes,  when  the  grass  is  buried  beneath  the 
BDOW,  and  heavy  blizzards  sweep  the  plains,  the 


BISHOP  FOR  AFRICA. 


85 


poor  cattle  have  a  hard  time,  and  sometimes  five 
per  cent,  of  them  die  in  that  ordeal.  I  said  to 
some  of  the  cattle-kings  out  there,  '  You  ought 
to  have  a  little  hay  for  such  emergencies.'  They 
said  it  would  not  do  at  all ;  it  would  demoralize 
the  herd.  They  would  quit  work  and  go  for  the 
hay.  Of  course,  in  the  cold  regions  of  the  East 
you  have  to  depend  on  feeding  out  your  hay  and 
corn.  But  the  multiplication  of  your  stock  is 
limited  by  your  resources  in  hay  or  corn.  That 
is  all  right.  But  the  jiossibility  of  the  unlimited 
multi|)lication  of  cattle  comes  from  the  fact  that 
no  feed  is  given  them.  They  run  straight  along 
through  the  years.  Now  there  is  no  conflict  be- 
tween the  two  things.  Do  you  think  so  ?  That 
is  the  possibility  we  claim  for  self-supporting 
Missions  in  foreign  countries.  Turn  us  out  to 
grass,  and  let  '  the  survival  of  the  fittest,'  go 
ahead." 

At  another  time  he  spoke  as  follows  : — 

William  Taylor,  of  South  India,  said  :  "  Now 
Mr.  Chairman,  if  I  do  not  begin  right  at  the 
point  do  not  suppose  I  am  going  to  speak  away 
from  the  question.  I  am  going  to  speak  to  it. 
Now  our  mother  across  the  watei's  is  a  builder 
of  states  and  nations,  and  furnishes  tliem  with  a 
full  fledged  organic  Christianity  and  Resident 
Bishops.  Here  the  big  daughter,  fully  occupied 
in  opening  up  ner  own  great  farm  and  in  build- 


86  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


ing  her  mansions,  has  only  made  one  attempt  at 
founding  a  nation  in  a  foreign  country  ;  also  has 
attempted  to  plant  and  develop  in  that  nation  the 
best  type  of  Christianity,  as  we  believe.  Now 
you  know  the  result  of  this  wonderful  attempt,  of 
ours  at  nation-buildmg  and  foreign  church-build- 
ing on  the  west  coast  of  Africa,  as  has  been  so 
ably  stated  by  Brother  Spencer,  and  the  nations 
are  competing  with  each  other  for  a  foothold  and 
an  advanced  foothold  in  Africa.  Now  with  our 
long  attempt  at  doing  something,  is  it  not  the  time 
for  us  to  do  something  or  quit?  And  if  to  quit, 
then  that  is  equivalent  to  retiring  from  the  field, 
because  we  would  not  have  the  face  to  attempt 
it  again  in  a  new  spot.  This  is  our  oldest  Mis- 
sion, and  our  oldest  Mission  ought  to  be  made  a 
success.  I  do  not  think  you  are  prepared  to 
abandon  the  field,  but  we  have  reached  a  crisis 
forcing  upon  us  the  alternative  to  go  ahead  and 
do  something  or  quit.  I  should  regard  Liberia 
as  a  mere  basis  of  operations.  You  must  remem- 
ber that  Monrovia  is  a  very  unhealthy  place.  If 
you  send  a  Missionary  to  Africa,  see  to  it  that  he 
gets  out  of  Monrovia.  For,  like  Memphis,  it  is 
located  on  the  leeward  of  a  dismal  swamp.  The 
daily  land  breezes  from  the  mountains,  passing 
over  that  swamp,  charged  with  malaria,  deal  out 
death  to  the  people  both  in  the  city  and  in  the 
harbor  even  to  the  moorings  of  your  Episcopal 
ship.    If  the  Bishop  were  there  hard  at  work  for 


A  PROPHETIC  SPEECH. 


87 


the  Master  six  days  in  the  week,  in  all  working 
hours,  attending  to  the  laws  of  health  in  regard 
to  food,  sleep  and  Sabbath  rest,  he  would  sweat 
the  malaria  out  of  him  and  proceed  in  his  work, 
and  not  die  before  the  Lord's  time." 

This  was  not  only  a  characteristic,  but  also 
a  prophetic  speech.  Little  did  he  think  that 
he  would  fulfil  this  prophecy  himself,  but  in 
less  than  nine  months  this  marvellous  man  of 
God  was  holding  a  Conference  in  Liberia, 
Africa,  and  holding  revival  services  twice  a 
day  and  seeing  from  twenty  to  thirty  souls  at 
the  altar  every  time. 

J.  M.  Buckley  said:  "Mr.  President, 
whenever  Bi'other  Taylor  speaks,  one  poeti- 
cal quotation  that  I  learned  a  great  many 
years  ago  springs  up  : 

'  No  pent-up  Utica  confines  my  powers, 
But  the  whole  boundless  Universe  is— His.' 

[Laughter.] 

And  I  am  happy  to  say  that  I  agree  with 
every  word  that  he  has  uttered,  and  would 
be  willing  to  say  (if  I  hadn't  one  or  two 
thing.s  to  mention  that  he  has  not  uttered) 
«  ditto  '  to  Brother  Taylor." 

It  is  exceedingly  interesting  to  read  the 


88  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


speeches  of  different  men  in  the  General 
Conference  when  this  question  of  electing 
a  Missionary  Bishop  for  Africa,  as  recom- 
mended by  the  Committee  of  Episcopacy, 
was  under  discussion,  and  after  which  Wil- 
liam Taylor  was  elected  Bishop.  Some  were 
utterly  opposed  to  the  idea  of  a  Missionary 
Bishop,  they  thought  one  of  the  regular  full- 
fledged  Bishops  should  go  and  reside  in 
Africa,  because  Bishops  Roberts  and  Burns 
were  Missionary  Bishops  and  their  labors 
were  not  very  successful. 

Dr.  Buckley  well  said  that  Burns  and  Rob- 
erts were  practically  Missionary  Bishops  for 
Liberia,  but  were  not  elected  by  the  General 
Conference.  We  ought  to  have  a  Missionary 
Bishop  for  Africa.  The  idea  of  sending  a 
man  to  Africa  for  four  years  and  then  come 
back,  is  a  preposterous  idea.  Let  us  do  the 
best  we  can  for  Africa.  A  Missionary  Bishop 
in  Africa  is  what?  Why,  he  is  a  Superin- 
tendent of  Missions  with  Episcopal  authority. 

J.  W.  Hamilton  contended  that  the  word 
"  Missionary  "  should  be  struck  out,  so  that 
there  should  be  no  restriction.  "I  am  not  in 
.favor,  sir,  of  a  Missionary  Bishop,  who  is 
not  and  cannot  be  a  Bishop  Missionary." 


A  MISSIOXAKY  BISHOP. 


89 


Daniel  Ware  of  Liberia  contended  that  he 
should  be  a  white  man,  born  in  freedom. 
' '  Because  such  men  have  more  of  that  pluck 
aud  plod,  that  push  and  dare,  that  has 
always  characterized  the  march  of  Metho- 
dism." 

J.  A.  Price  well  said,  "If  we  elect  a  Bishop 
he  is  a  Bishop  until  he  dies,  or  resigns,  or  is 
deposed."    Who  can  doubt  that? 

The  following  speech  was  quite  to  the 
point  and  is  full  of  importance  :  — 

L.  M.  Vernon,  of  Italy,  said :  "Mr.  Chairman, 
I  could  very  heartily  desire  that  some  of  the  con- 
siderations which  have  entered  into  this  discus- 
sion might  be  left  aside.  I  do  not  think  we  can 
push  what  I  call  Methodism  as  it  is,  efficiently, 
in  this  way. 

What  is  the  measure  that  will  secure  the  great- 
est efficiency  for  the  work  in  Liberia,  and  in 
Africa?  I  am  surprised  at  the  sentiments  ex- 
pressed here  as  to  the  distinctions  between  a 
Bishop  and  a  Missionary  Bishop.  I  may  be  ob- 
tuse. I  may  not  have  the  sentiments  of  honor 
that  some  of  my  brethren  have,  but  I  do  not  at 
all  appreciate  the  expressions  I  have  heard  on 
this  subject.  And  when  1  hear  those  expressions 
of  Bishop  and  fuU-flegded  Bishop,  it  seems  as 
consistent  as  it  would  be  for  Mr.  Stanley  to  de- 


90  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 

mand  that  he  should  be  considered  a  full-fledged 
repoi  tei-  and  not'a  reporter  for  Africa. 

When  the  constitution  of  our  Church  and 
Episcopac}-  was  established,  and  when  there  waa 
instituted  this  General  Superintendency,  this 
agency  of  General  Superintendents  that  we  call 
the  Episcopacy  was  created. 

Is  there  any  sober  man  on  this  floor  that  sup- 
poses our  vast  plan  is  designed  for  anything  less 
than  an  Episcopacy  for  the  whole  woiid,  as  for 
America?  If  it  has  been  interpreted  in  any 
other  way,  it  is  different  from  that  of  the  past, 
and  I  have  never  heard  of  a  fledged  or  an  un- 
fledged Episcopacy.  What  we  need  in  Africa, 
is  an  Episcopacy  for  Africa.  If  we  survey  the 
continent,  we  shall  find  room  enough  in  that 
broad  country  in  which  a  Bishop  may  circle  around 
without  feeling  his  limitations.  I  submit  one  or 
two  questions.  Is  not  the  first  thought  in  the 
establishment  of  this  Missionary  Episcopacy  for 
Africa — the  very  first  idea  in  this  work  —  is  it 
not  unity  in  the  work?'  We  want  to  use  our 
agencies  so  that  from  the  very  first  step  it  shall 
proceed  upon  the  idea  of  unity.  And  that  you 
can  best  secure  by  planting  a  man  there  who  has 
the  survey  of  the  whole  field. 

The  other  is  local  security.  One  visit  would 
be  useful,  but  two  visits  would  be  much  more 
useful.  But  it  is  not  invidious  for  me  to  declare 
that  a  man  who  is  located  there  for  four  years, 


FULL-FLEDGED  BISHOPS. 


91 


and  who  feels  the  burden  of  the  work  upon  his 
Bhouldcrs.  can  do  more  than  any  man  who  goca 
for  a  few  days  only,  and  surperviscs  during  the 
day  and  sleeps  on  board  the  vessels  duiing  the 
night.  We  agree  with  Brother  Taylor  that  we 
ouglitto  enforce  that  work  or  quit  the  field.  If 
we  place  a  Bishop  there  he  will  feel  that  he  must 
make  the  work  prosper  or  go  down  with  it.  I 
have  very  little  confidence  in  any  Missionary 
work  that  does  not  go  forth  on  that  principle. 
We  do  not  go  forth  into  this  field  to  compare 
with  other  churches  simply.  It  is  a  life  and 
death  work,  and  it  would  be  an  imputation  to 
say  that  there  are  not  white  men  here  who  are 
ready  to  go  there  with  the  Gospel  and  plant  it 
with  their  own  blood  if  necessaiy.  And  if  we 
desire  to  do  so  we  can  find  one  or  two  men  right 
here  who  are  fit  for  the  field.  I  hope  it  will  be 
adopted,  and  that  we  shall  at  least  make  one 
prompt  brave  effort  for  the  salvation  of  Africa. 

Another  member  of  the  Conference  said  : — 

"  I  do  not  stand  on  color  lines  at  all,  and  as 
for  a  full-fledged  Bishop,  the  whole  of  us  are  full- 
fledged  Bishops  as  regards  the  Scriptural  order. 
That  is  the  doctrine  of  our  Church  ;  and  as  to  the 
ofBce,  that  of  a  Missionary  Bishop  is  superior  to 
that  of  the  ordinary  Bishops  in  proportion  to  the 
sacrifices  and  hazards  it  may  involve.    It  is  a 


92  THE  BISHOP  or  Africa. 


high  responsible  office  for  which  these  gentlemen 
arc  hardly  fitted.  '  I  think  there  is  too  much  said 
about  a  full-fledged  Bighop  for  Africa.  A  man 
who  has  got  the  grit  in  l)im  and  power  to  run  this 
machine  won't  stop  to  ask  whether  this  is  a  Mis- 
sionary Bishop  or  one  of  some  other  sort.  His 
order  is  that  of  a  Presbyter  in  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  and  his  office  is  to  lead  this 
gi-and  movement,  and  he  may  be  head  and  shoul- 
ders above  ordinary  fledged  Bishops." 

I  give  these  quotations  because  there  has 
been  such  an  effort  made  by  some  parties 
to  prove  that  though  William  Taylor  was 
elected  and  ordained  a  Bishop,  yet  he  is  not 
a  Bishop  and  is  only  a  Missionary  Bishop. 
His  name  is  left  out  of  the  list  of  Bishops  in 
the  Discipline,  and  the  Episcopal  fund  is  re- 
fused for  his  support. 

So  that  the  man  who  has  done  and  suffered 
the  most  for  the  salvation  of  the  world,  and 
who  accepts  the  hardest  mission  field  of  the 
world  to  cultivate,  is  left  to  pay  his  own 
passage  money  and  support  himself  or  take 
his  pay  from  the  Missionary  Society,  which 
the  General  Conference  knew  very  well  that 
he  would  not  do.  Having  created  him  a 
Bishop  why  not  treat  him  as  such?  ^Vhy 


MY  WHITE  MANHOOD. 


93 


not  put  his  name  in  the  Discipline  as  Bishop 
of  Africa?  Let  us  be  calm  till  the  next 
General  Conference. 

No  discussion  in  the  conference  created 
moi*e  interest  than  this.  To  show  the  fear 
that  some  had  of  being  elected  Bishop  of 
Africa,  one  delegate  said  that  two  brethren 
had  been  to  him  and  begged  him  to  protect 
them  from  being  buried  alive  in  such  a 
Bishopric  as  that.  The  same  delegate  said  to 
the  Conference,  "I  know  after  your  action 
last  week  that  you  do  not  intend  to  insult  my 
white  manhood  with  such  a  proposition,  and 
the  color  of  the  blood  as  I  feel  it  running  in 
my  veins  this  morning,  would  not  allow  me 
to  stultify  my  manhood  with  occupying  such 
an  office  if  I  were  black." 

When  William  Taylor's  name  was  men- 
tioned for  Bishop  he  dared  not  to  decline,  but 
retired  from  the  Conference  to  talk  with  Jesus 
about  it  and  also  that  none  of  his  remarks 
should  by  any  means  influence  the  vote. 
When  the  vote  was  taken  he  received  250 
votes,  73  votes  more  than  enough  for  choice, 
and  was  declared  elected.  This  election  was 
received  with  acclamation,  not  only  in  the 
General  Conference,  but  in  all  parts  of  the 


94  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


civilized  world.  He  was  well  known,  and 
(lis  abilities  for  this  difficult  work  could  not 
be  denied.  He  was  no  stranger  in  Africa,  as 
we  have  seen.  Still  it  involved  a  self-sacrifice 
such  as  but  few  were  willing  to  make.  He 
was  already  sixty-three  years  of  age  ;  but 
by  hard  work  and  rigid  self-denial,  he  had  so 
reserved  and  utilized  the  forces  of  his  body 
that  he  weighed  two  hundred  and  fifty  pounds, 
without  being  corpulent.  He  has  a  long, 
flowing  beard,  shaggy  brows  and  piercing 
eyes.  "He  has  a  wonderful  endowment  ot 
physical  strength  and  endurance,  just  what  is 
needed  for  his  peculiar  work."  He  says  that 
his  hard  work  on  the  college  building  in  Co- 
quimbo  was  a  tonic  for  his  system  ;  just  the 
exercise  he  needed  to  bring  up  his  strength. 

He  was  elected  May  22,  1884,  and  ordained 
the  next  day  with  the  other  Bishops,  namely  : 
William  Xavier  Ninde,  John  Morgan  "NVal- 
den,  William  Francis  Mallalieu  and  Charles 
Henry  Fowler.  He  was  presented  for  ordi- 
nation l)y  Marshall  W.  Taylor,  a  man  of  color 
and  Dennis  W.  Osborne,  a  Eurasian  from 
India. 

"  Exactly  the  same  form  of  words  was  used  in 
consecrating  the  Missionary  Bishop  as  in  the  con- 


BISHOP  TAYLOR'S  RESPOXSE.  05 


secration  of  the  other  Bishops,  except  that  in  the 
form  used  in  connection  with  the  k\ying  on  of 
hands,  the  officiating  Bishop  inserted  the  words, 
"  Missionary  "  and  "  in  Africa."  This  was  done 
in  order  that  the  form  of  consecration  might  be 
in  harmony  with  the  action  of  the  General  Con- 
ference." 

The  next  day  Bishop  Andrews  invited 
Bishop  Taylor  to  take  his  seat  upon  the 
platform. 

Bishop  Taylor  responded  by  saying,  Mr.  Chair- 
man, if  you  so  rule,  I  will  obey  orders.  I  tiiiuk, 
however,  that  my  place  is  here  ;  but  I  am  a  loyal 
Methodist,  and  if  you  so  order  I  will  obey.  If 
you  should  come  over  to  Africa,  then  I  will  give 
you  an  invitation  upon  the  platform  there. 
[Great  laughter.] 

This  modest  and  kind  reply  to  the  Bishop 
was  very  pleasing  to  the  General  Conference. 
The  following  letter  speaks  for  itself  and 
shows  up  this  extraordinary  man  in  this  great 
emergency.  It  was  published  in  T7ie  Chris- 
tian Witness:—- 

242  W.  LOGAX  Sq.,  Philadelphia,  May  26,  IS^l. 
Rev.  W.  McDonald  :— 

M>j  Dear  Brother,  —  Your  welcome  1  etter  re- 
ceived.   As  for  African  Episcopacy,   I  never 


96  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


sought  it,  nor  desired  it,  nor  expected  it  to  come 
to  me  ;  but  by  d  sudden  whirl  of  the  wheel  of 
Providence,  it  came, —  the  nomination,  election, 
and  ordination,  all  within  twenty-four  hours. 
The  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  was  so  con- 
sciously manifest  that  hundreds  of  the  brethren 
said,  "  This  is  of  the  Lord.'^  I  so  receive  it.  I 
cannot  see  through  it,  and  don't  need  to.  I  see 
the  leading  hand  of  Jesus,  and  put  my  hand  in 
His  to  be  led  whithersoever  it  may  please  Him  to 
lead  me.  I  am  sure  He  will  not  have  me  go  back 
on  our  record  in  regard  to  self-supporting  prin- 
ciples or  work. 

I  have  not  been  in  India  for  over  eight  years, 
but  have  not  ceased  for  one  day  in  all  that  time 
to  work  for  that  land,  and  have  sent  them, 
meantime,  over  fifty  missionaries.  Most  of  my 
remaining  years  will  probably  be  given  to  Africa, 
so  far  as  concerns  my  persoual  presence  ;  but  I 
can  work  for  India  and  South  America  as  well 
from  Africa  as  I  have  wrought  for  India  dm-ing 
the  past  eight  years  of  my  absence,  and  some- 
time, when  the  Lord  is  pleased  to  give  me  a 
"  summer  vacation,"  I  can  visit  my  churches  in 
those  countries  and  sec  how  they  do. 

Africa  is  the  most  forlorn  hope  of  all  the  field 
before  the  church.  The  Wesleyan  Missions  of 
South  Africa  have  the  great  advantages  of  a  sa- 
lubrious, healthy  climate,  and  the  support  and 
protection  of  pioneer  English  colonies.  Their 


TRANSIT  AOT)  BUILDING  FUND.  97 


Kaffrarian  missioa  stations  were  established  by 
treaty  through  those  colonial  governments  with 
KaiKr  kings,  securing  the  grant  of  lands  for  mis- 
sion purposes,  and  the  recognition  and  protection 
of  the  missionaries ;  and  yet,  with  all  these  ad- 
vantages, those  faithful  missionaries  had  from 
twenty  to  forty  years  of  hard  work  to  put  into 
the  grading  and  track-laying  business,  before  the 
glory  of  the  Lord  was  revealed  in  a  Pentecostal 
ingathering  of  souls. 

On  the  Liberiau  coast  we  have  none  of  those 
advantages ;  and  in  any  other  part  of  Africa, 
wheresoever  the  Lord  may  lead  us,  we  shall  have 
to  begin  at  the  beginning  of  a  preparatory  work, 
like  the  building  of  a  railroad  to  the  Pacific 
Coast.  My  only  hope  for  manifest  results  in  my 
lifetime  is  on  the  principle  of  Mahomedan  propa- 
gandism  ;  viz.,  self-support  on  the  line  of  the 
most  simple,  fraternal  and  rigid  economy.  All 
the  money  of  all  the  missionary  societies  would 
be  insufficient  to  pay  the  hire  of  the  men  required 
for  such  a  work  ;  whereas,  the  possible  resources 
of  our  "Transit  and  Building  Fund" — or,  to 
use,  perhaps,  a  better  name,  our  "  Foreign  Edu- 
cational and  Church  pjxtension  Fund  "  —  may  be 
adequate  to  pay  the  traveling  expenses  of  the 
evangelists  and  teachers  to  the  country,  and  her 
itinerant  tours  in  the  country,  and  also  for  the 
building  of  houses  for  our  various  i)urposes  ;  but 
uo  salaries  paid  at  either  end  of  the  hue. 


98 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFKICA. 


Put  Africa  on  the  list  of  our  self-supporting 
missions,  except  'Liberia,  which  belongs  to  our 
regular  Missionary  Society,  and  whose  sucklings 
there,  possibly,  cannot  be  weaned.  It  will  be 
my  pleasure  to  do  everything  I  can  to  help  the 
Society  in  her  great  work ;  but  I  cannot  for  a 
moment  entertain  the  question  of  a  let-up  of  any 
sort  on  the  principles  and  mission  of  self-support, 
which  God  has  entrusted  to  me  as  a  specialty. 
Such  a  question  is  not  debatable.  No  one  at 
this  General  Conference  has  raised  the  question. 

Let  all  our  dear  friends  pray  for  Africa  and 
for  me,  that  I  may  clearly  discern  tlie  Lord's 
leading,  and  be  led  by  him  in  every  movement. 

There  is  no  mandatory  authority  between  me 
and  the  General  Conference,  and  I  am  sure  the 
General  Conference  will  rejoice  to  learn  at  the 
end  of  each  quadrennium,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
the  Supreme  Leader  of  His  conquering  armies  in 
the  Dark  Continent. 

William  Taylor. 

The  following  letter  will  seem  to  show  how 
the  Bishop  looked  upon  his  election.  I  sim- 
ply quote  facts  of  history.  There  is  quite  a 
discussion  going  on  in  our  church  papers 
about  Bishop  Taylor.  I  publish  the 
facts  and  the  public  will  judge  for  them- 
selves : — 


THE  RIGHT  VIEW. 


99 


A  CORRECTION. 

Dear  Brother  McDonald  .— 

I  see  several  erroueous  statements  in  the  pa- 
pers in  regard  to  tlie  Missionary  Bishop.  One  is, 
that  he  was  elected  for  four  years  only,  whereas 
he  was  elected  the  same  as  the  others  —  for  life. 

Another,  that  he  is  not  a  Bishop  of  equal 
standing  with  the  others.  A  Bishop  in  the  M.  E. 
Church  is  a  Bishop  —  no  more,  no  less  ;  the  dif- 
ference being  that  the  General  Conference  gives 
to  one  a  definite  and  limited  Episcopal  jurisdic- 
tian,  whereas  the  other  Bishops  once  a  year  fix 
the  sphere  and  limits  of  their  respective  fields. 
Under  that  arrangement  I  would  be  subject  to 
the  Board  of  Bishops.  As  it  is,  I  answer  only 
to  the  General  Conference  quadrennially,  which 
suits  me  exactly  for  all  my  varied  work.  The 
other  would  embarrass  me. 

AViLLiAM  Taylor. 

He  was  duly  elected  a  Bishop,  with  a  whole 
continent  for  his  diocese,  and  full  lil)erty  to 
follow  his  own  sweet  will,  so  long  as  he 
pleased  to  do  right,  which  he  always  pro- 
posed to  do. 

The  General  Conference  makes  no  refer- 
ence whatever  to  his  being  an  employee  ot 
the  Missionary  Society,  and  they  knew  very 
well  that  he  never  had,  nor  ever  would  accept 


100  THE  BISHOP  or  Ar"RICA. 


money  from  that  society.  First,  because  he 
could  do  without  it,  and  Second,  because  he 
would  not  be  subject  to  their  control.  The 
General  Conference  knowing  this,  and  mak- 
ing no  provision  for  his  support,  must  have 
supposed  that  he  would  derive  his  support 
from  the  Episcopal  fund,  if  in  the  hurry,  they 
thought  anything  about  it.  They  knew  that 
for  many  years  he  had  supported  himself. 
But  he  having  taken  the  place  of  one  of  the 
Bishops  in  going  to  Liberia  to  hold  the  reg- 
ular Annual  Conference,  besides  the  other 
work  assigned  him,  to  evangelize  the  dark 
continent ;  and  being  thus  cut  off  from  the  sale 
of  his  books,  on  which  he  depended  for  sup- 
port, his  support  must  come  from  the  Epis- 
copal funds,  or  from  his  many  friends  all 
over  the  world  who  will  never  see  him  want 
for  money. 

Immediately  after  his  election  he  wrote, 
"  A  sudden  whirl  of  Providence  has  turned 
me  out  a  Missionary  Bishop  for  Africa.  The 
honor  conferred  is  in  proportion  to  the  self- 
sacritice  and  the  peril  involved,  and  the  stu- 
pendous work  contemplated,  with  the  im- 
measurable obstructions  to  be  encountered 
in  the  prosecution  of  it." 


THE  COXSECKATIOX. 


101 


Pn  the   Consecration  of  William  Taylor,  Missionary 
Bishop  for  Africa. 

Sons  of  Wesley  come  from  far, 

Veterans  in  the  holy  war; 
LanJs  of  ancient  high  renown, 

Empires  of  the  s-tting  sun. 
Varying  shades  from  wide-spread  zones, 

Accen;s  strange  from  many  tongues; 
Heroes  all.  courageous,  true, 

Gathered  are  for  grand  review. 

Angels  of  the  Church  are  there, 

Bishops  crowned  with  silver  hair; 
Some  are  strong  and  full  of  cheer. 

Some  with  broken  lance  and  spear 
Some  who  long  the  army  led. 

Now  are  numbered  with  the  dead  ; 
Shining  stars  of  earthlj-  hinds, 

Held  in  Christ's  Almighty  hands. 

Kingdom  of  the  Christ  prevails, 

Climbs  the  mountains,  fills  the  vales; 
Voices  call  from  many  shores. 

Multiplied  are  opening  doors. 
Joshuas  new  must  lead  the  host, 

Jordans  uew  must  still  be  crossed; 
Bring  your  chosen  to  their  place, 

Pour  on  them  anointing  grace. 

Towering  high  among  them  came, 

One  whose  soul  is  living  flame ; 
Flame  of  zeal  of  living  faith, — 

Flame  of  love  that  conquers  death. 


102  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


Angel  flyinof  o'er  the  earth. 

Telling  of  fhp  Saviour's  birth; 
Telling  nations,  far  and  near, 

Christ  is  risen,  Christ  is  here. 

Next  him  stood  on  either  hand, 

Children  of  the  far-oflFlands; 
Mingled  blood  within  their  veins. 

Europe's  mountains,  Asia's  plains. 
Tinge  of  Afric's  heated  strands, 

Joined  with  frosts  of  Northern  lands; 
Bring  offering  there  to  be, 

Bound  and  laid  on  Africa. 

Son  of  Man  to  thee  we  pray 

Bear  in  mind  the  awful  day; 
When  through  Jew  and  Roman's  scorn, 

Smiting  hand  and  piercing  thorn, 
Bloody  sweat  and  bursting  groan, 

Treading  wine-press  all  alone ; 
Fainting  'neath  the  accursed  tree, 

Helper*  came  from  Africa. 

Son  of  God,  to  thee,  we  pray. 

Guard  thy  servant  all  his  way; 
Bear  him  safely  o'er  the  deep, 

Health  and  strength  in  vigor  keep. 
Open  up  the  pathless  lands, 

Fire  his  heart  and  fill  his  hands; 
Long  may  he  apostle  De, 

Toiling  for  dark  Africa. 

Latest  called  of  nations  come, 
Greet  the  Western  rising  sun; 


•  SlmoD,  tbe  Cyreulan 


rOEM  ON  CONSECRATION.  103 


Stretch  thy  hands  to  God  once  more, 

Beacons  blaze  along  thy  shore. 
Messengers  from  distant  lands, 

Water  now  the  sterile  sands; 
Many  crowns  the  Christ  array, 

Add  the  crown  of  Africa. 

W.  G.  QCEAL. 


104  TS^  BISHOP  or  AITIICA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

BISHOP  TAYI.OR  PEEPAEUfG  FOE  AFRICA. 

BErNG  elected  Bishop  of  Africa,  he  began 
to  study  and  pray  over  the  matter,  and  look 
around  for  a  company  of  entirely  consecrated 
men  to  go  with  him.  At  first  he  decided 
that  no  woman  would  be  safe  in  that  counti-y 
of  savages.  But  soon  he  changed  his  mind, 
and  decided  to  take  also  women  and  children. 

These  devoted  ones  ofiered  themselves  in 
the  spirit  of  sacrifice,  ready  to  lay  down 
their  lives  for  Christ's  sake.  Several  whole 
families  offered  themselves.  The  father  in 
one  family  wrote  to  Bishop  Taylor,  "As  it 
regards  death,  for  me  to  live  is  Christ,  to  die 
is  gain.  Heaven  is  as  near  Africa  as  America. 
There  is  but  one  thing  I  shall  have  to  say  ; 
we  cannot  be  separated,  we  go  together,  for 
richer  or  poorer,  in  sickness  and  in  health, 


LIBERAL  CONTRIBUTIONS.  lOo 

till  death  doth  us  part."  Who  can  blame 
them  for  that  ? 

About  this  time  Bishop  Taylor  issued  three 
circulars  to  his  friends,  explaining  his  plans 
and  purposes,  and  urging  them  to  furnish  the 
mone,y  for  Transit  Fund.  He  came  to  Bos- 
ton and  gave  us  one  of  his  marked  speeches. 
A  good  Baptist  deacon  stepped  forward  and 
oflered  to  pay  the  passage  of  one  missionary, 
which  would  cost  $500.  I  refer  to  Deacon 
George  M.  ]\Iorse  of  Putnam,  Conn.  The 
Society  of  Friends  prepared  to  send  out  two 
of  their  missionary  workers,  and  of  course 
paid  their  expenses.  The  money  began  to 
pour  into  the  Transit  Fund,  and  the  Bishop 
started  to  visit  his  devoted  family  in  Califor- 
nia. From  his  home  he  sent  the  following 
letter  to  The  Christian  Standard : — ■ 

"Rev.  E.  I.  D.  Peppek: 

Dear  Brother^ —  I  am  again,  after  an  absence 
of  over  two  and  one-half  years,  at  home  with  my 
own  heroic  wife  and  sons.  Ross  m}'  second  liv- 
ing sou,  was  received  into  the  Cahfornia  Confer- 
ence last  Saturday,  and  elected  to  deacons'  and 
elders'  orders,  '  under  the  rule,'  and  was  ordained 
on  Sabbath,  aud  will  stand  on  the  list  of  appoint- 
ments— 'Missionary  to  Central  Africa.'    As  I 


106  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


have  to  hold  the  Conference  in  Liberia  in  Jan- 
uary and  hope  to  found  a  mission  in  Loando, 
oar  port  of  entry  for  the  interior,  and  as  those 
are  very,  very  sickly  places,  and  as  I  don't  wish 
lo  imperil  the  lives  of  my  force  for  the  interior 
by  detention  in  those  sickly  regions,  I  will  not 
have  my  main  force  come  on  till  spring  so  as  to 
join  me  in  Loando  in  May,  and  proceed  at  once 
to  the  higher  altitudes  where  the  climate  is  salu- 
brious and  healthful.  Over  twenty  heroic  men 
and  women  are  ready  to  go  on  s  hort  notice.  The 
conditions  are  :  First,  That  our  friends  in  Amer- 
ica, through  our  Transit  Fund  Society,  may  pay 
their  passage  outward.  Second,  That  all  our 
workers  shall  depend  on  God  and  the  people  they 
serve  for  daily  bread.  Third,  That  they  shall 
receive  their  salary  in  full  from  our  Father  in 
heaven  after  their  arrival  in  the  '  heavenly  Jeru 
salem.'  I  can  get  more  workers  and  better 
workers  on  these  terms  than  I  can  get  on  any 
other.  Glory  to  God,  the  race  of  heroes  and 
heroines  has  not  run  out,  and  never  will;  but  a 
return  to  the  Master's  orders  to  '  go  without 
purse  or  scrip  '  opens  a  field  for  the  manifesta- 
tion and  development  of  such.  I  tried  for 
months  to  intimidate  the  holy  women  who  wanted 
to  go  into  the  wilds  of  Africa,  for  I  did  not  then 
think  it  suitable  for  them  to  go  among  naked 
savage  cannibals  on  a  line  of  such  rigid  economy 
and  possible  perils  to  life,  but  '  they  wouldn't 


LETTER  FROM  CALIFORNIA.  107 


scare  worth  a  cent.'  I  drew  the  darkest  pictures 
possible  in  a  letter  of  reply  to  a  good  minister 
and  his  wife  in  Michigan,  offering  for  Africa. 
The  minister  was  unmoved  by  any  of  these  thinss 
and  the  following  is  the  repl}'  of  his  wife, — '  We 
have  just  received  your  letter.  Yes,  we  knew  what 
we  were  writing  about.  We  are  all  missionaries 
in  this  house,'  (husband,  wife  and  nine-year-old 
daughter) .  '  The  only  fear  I  have  is  that  I  am 
not  meet  to  be  a  sharer  in  this  grand  work.  It 
has  been  my  heart's  prayer  for  years.  Lord,  if 
Thou  shouldst  count  me  worthy,  send  me.  I  am 
not  afraid  that  we  shall  not  be  supported.  What 
are  the  promises?  'My  God  shall  supply  all 
your  need.'  '  Trust  in  the  Lord,  do  good,  dwell 
in  the  land,  and  verily  thou  shalt  be  fed.'  Don't 
the  Lord  keep  His  word?  Is  there  not  plenty  of 
land  there?  Well  I  have  planted,  hoed  and 
worked  potatoes,  corn  and  other  things,  and  can 
do  it  again.  I  have  slept  in  mud  huts,  tents,  and 
in  the  open  air,  with  a  blanket  round  me,  the 
blue  sk}'  above  me,  with  a  water-dog  for  my  pil- 
low, and  would  do  it  again,  if  need  be." 

jNIvs.  Taylor  came  with  her  husband  to 
Now  Yoi'k  when  he  was  preparing  to  go  to 
Africa.  She  was  cheerful  and  happy  to  have 
such  a  noble  husband  to  give  for  such  a  glo- 
tious  purpose.    God  will  share  the  rewards 


108  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 

with  lier  in  proportion  to  the  sacrifices  she 
has  made.  She  is  perfectly  willing  to  wait 
for  the  day  of  the  Loixl. 

There  is  another  mysterious  link  in  this 
chain  of  providences.  The  very  year  that 
this  Bishop  was  elected,  there  was  published 
to  the  world  the  discovery  of  a  number  of 
tribes  who  live  in  the  heart  of  Africa ;  the 
Tushalange,  the  Basange  and  the  Benike. 
These  semi-civilized  tribes  live  in  stone 
houses,  with  gardens  around  them  and  these 
tribes  have  never  been  corrupted  with  rum  or 
Mohammedanism  ;  they  are  native  heathens. 
These  people  have  remained  isolated  from 
the  rest  of  the  world,  and  have  been  spared 
from  the  bloody  invasions  of  hostile  tribes. 
Two  travelers  have  visited  them  who  were 
the  only  white  persons  that  these  people  ever 
saw.  They  number  no  less  than  one  hun- 
dred thousand.  They  live  in  a  healthy  part 
of  the  country  and  are  a  well-to-do  people 
for  that  dark  land. 

Bishop  Taylor's  missions  are  to  be  estab- 
lished in  the  valley  of  the  Congo  river  and  its 
tributaries.  The  following  quotation  will  be 
read  with  profit  and  interest,  showing  another 
link  in  this  remarkable  providential  chain 


A  REMARK  ABLE  PROVIDENCE.  109 


"  The  dark  regions  of  the  Dark  Contiaont  are 
opening  to  the  AYord  whose  entrance  giveth  light. 
The  eyes  of  Christendom  are  tin-ned  toward 
Congo-land.  States  and  empires  vie  with  each 
other  in  the  solution  of  the  great  geographical 
pi'oblem  of  the  age.  Diplomacy  becomes  the 
handmaid  of  the  Church.  The  Congo  Congress 
in  session  in  imperial  Berlin,  in  which  are  repre- 
sented the  great  countries  of  Europe  and  also  the 
United  States,  will  shape  the  destiny  of  the 
hitherto  unknown.  Commerce  and  Christianity 
enter  hand  in  hand  for  Africa's  redemption. 

Congo-land  is  the  garden  of  Central  Africa. 
Its  salubrious  climate,  navigable  streams,  fertile 
soil,  and  the  number  and  character  of  its  peoples, 
make  it  a  chosen  field  for  trade  and  missionary 
effort.  It  sti'etches  from  three  degrees  north 
latitude  to  twelve  degrees  south  of  the  equator, 
and  from  the  west  coast  to  about  thirty-two  de- 
grees east  longitude,  two-thirds  the  way  across 
the  continent.  With  the  exception  of  the  Desert 
of  Sahara,  this  territory  is  about  one- third  of  the 
inhabited  portions  of  Africa,  and  larger  than  the 
United  States,  including  Alaska.  The  Congo 
river  is  navigable  for  vessels  of  five  thousand 
tons  to  Vivi,  one  hundred  miles  from  its  mouth. 
Then  comes  the  Livingstone  Falls,  thirty-two  in 
number,  and  one  hundred  and  eight3'-five  miles 
in  length.  From  the  Stanley  Pool,  at  the  head 
of  these  falls,  the  Congo  is  navigable  for  light 


110  THE  BISnOP  OF  AFRICA. 


vessels  to  Stanley  Falls,  one  thousand  miles,  and 
it  is  estimated,  thYit  four  thousand  miles  or  more 
of  navigation  is  provided  by  its  branches.  The 
population  is  forty-nine  millions,  mostly  pagans, 
forming  a  most  propitious  field  for  Christianity. 
A  grammar  and  dictionary  of  the  Congo  lan- 
guage have  already  been  prepared  by  Mr.  H. 
Giatton  Guinness,  of  London.  Speedily  after 
the  tidings  of  Stanley's  successful  journey.  Chris- 
tian hearts  in  England  were  stirred.  Livingstone 
Inland  Mission  was  formed,  and  the  first  two 
missionaries  sailed  from  Liverpool  for  the  Congo 
in  January,  1878.  Others  followed  at  near 
periods.  Fifty  in  all  have  been  engaged  in  the 
work,  of  whom  twenty-six  are  now  in  the  field. 
This  mission  has  recently  been  transferred  to  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  of  our  own 
coiintry.  English  Baptists  will  continue  their 
work.  There  are  already  two  mission  steamers 
on  tlie  upper  Congo,  and  one  on  the  lower. 
With  the  contemplated  railroad,  intercourse  and 
travel  will  be  comparatively  easy. 

The  International  Association,  at  whose  head 
is  the  Catholic  King  of  Belgium,  has  already 
accomplished  much,  with  promise  of  larger  co- 
operation. The  truly  noble  Leopold  has  ex- 
pended a  million  of  dollars  from  his  own  private 
means.  In  the  loss  of  his  only  son  he  adopted 
Africa  as  the  child  of  his  heart,  and  to  it  he 
gives  his  life's  highest  powers  " 


EXPLOKIXa  EASTERN  AFRICA.  Ill 


Some  time  ago  the  Royal  Geographical 
Society  of  Great  Britain  sent  out  Mr.  Joseph 
Thompson  to  examine  the  equatorial  region 
of  Eastern  Africa.  We  learn  from  Zion's 
Herald  the  following  deeply  interesting  facts 
which  indicate  the  finger  of  God  : — 

"He  entered  the  country  from  the  island  of 
Zanzibar  on  the  eastern  coast,  with  a  caravan  of 
a  hundred  natives  bearing  his  provisions  and 
presents.  His  journey  extended  west  to  Lake 
Victoria  Nyanza.  In  his  exploration  within  a 
few  degrees  of  the  equator,  north  and  south,  he 
finds,  through  the  different  elevations  of  the 
land,  every  kind  of  temperature,  from  scorching 
heat  to  freezing  cold,  and  an  equal  variety  of 
fruits  and  productions  of  the  earth.  From  his 
encampment  amid  tropical  ferns  he  sees  skirting 
the  horizon,  majestic,  abrupt,  conical,  volcanic 
peaks,  from  fourteen  to  nineteen  thousand  feet 
in  height,  their  tops  glittering  with  perennial 
snow.  He  finds  a  brave^  intelligent  race  of 
manly  height,  well- formed,  with  few  of  the  pure 
negro  characteristics.  They  are  savage  and 
ready  to  fight,  but  they  are  equally  ready  to 
trade.  The  country  is  full  of  game  of  all  kinds 
and  of  the  most  majestic  beasts — the  lion, 
elephant,  rhinoceros,  zebra,  buffalo,  etc.  —  and 
large  portions  of  the  soil  very  fertile.  Traders 


112 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


in  ivory,  skins  and  tropical  fruits  are  constantly 
entering  the  courttry  in  caravans,  and  govern- 
ment stations  are  being  establislied  at  various 
points.  Tlie  work  of  civilizntiou  will  move 
slowly  because  these  representatives  of  it  are 
unfortunate  illustrators  of  a  higher  form  of 
social  and  religious  life.  But  these  men  are 
opening  the  way  for  something  better. 

Can  any  Christian  doubt  the  providential  in- 
timation of  these  movements?  Is  not  the  finger 
of  God  pointing  the  church  towards  this  long- 
neglected  Continent  and  its  terribly  abused  peo- 
ples? A  dispensation  of  the  Gospel  has  evi- 
dently fallen  upon  all  the  missionary  bodies  of 
Christendom  leading  them  in  this  direction. 
They  are  nearly  all  now  represented  in  some 
portion  of  the  land.  The  American  Board, 
after  careful  inquiry,  and  discovering  the  exten- 
sive and  invaluable  scientific  surveys  and  charts 
provided  by  German  travelers  and  scholars,  has 
located  a  mission  in  the  southern  and  western 
portion  of  the  great  promontory.  The  Scotch 
and  the  English  missions  of  different  denomina- 
tions are  found  dotting  both  coasts  and  slowly 
moving  into  the  interior  Our  own  hour  has  not 
come  too  soon.  There  were  many  reasons  why 
our  very  early  movement  in  Liberia  seemed  to 
enjoy  so  feeble  a  life  and  so  little  growth.  But 
a  day  of  larger  enterprise  is  dawning.  Who 
can  but  pray  that  the  great  Head  of  the  Church 


DISCOVERIES  IN  AFRICA.  113 


will  endow  the  fearless  and  devoted  man  —  the 
Bishop  of  Africa — who  now  stands  upon  its 
eastern  coast  turning  his  eyes  inland,  with  wis- 
dom in  laying  the  broader  foundations  of  evan- 
gelizing instrumentalities  among  the  new  tribes 
whose  lands  have  already  been  entered  by  com- 
mercial travelers,  and  whose  intellectual  and 
religious  enlightenment  is  evidently  in  the  mind 
of  God  as  the  great  outcome  of  all  these  more 
selSsh  enterprises !  Men  and  women  will  die 
and  be  buried  under  tropical  suns,  yet  so  do  men 
of  the  world ;  but  civilization  progresses,  and 
the  Kingdom  of  Christ  must  certainly  come  upon 
all  the  earth." 

So  numerous  have  been  the  discoveries 
that  Africa  is  almost  a  new  world  to  us. 
We  shall  need  to  study  its  geography  over 
again,  for,  in  former  days, 

"  Geographers,  in  Afi'ic  maps 

With  savage  pictures  filled  their  gaps. 

And  o'er  unhabitable  dovvus 

Placed  elephants  for  want  of  towns." 

As  Bishop  Taylor  is  beginning  his  missions 
in  Central  Africa,  the  following  will  l)e  in- 
teresting : — 


114  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


"Central  Africa  is  liigli,  like  an  inverted 
saucer,  extendir^  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Indian 
Oceans,  with  a  territ.  ry  as  large  as  our  whole 
land  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  with  a 
population  of  eighty  millions.  Here  are  the 
great  lakes,  here  rise  the  great  rivers  of  Africa, 
(Nile,  Congo  and  Zambeze),  and  here  are  its 
highest  mountains  always  covered  with  snow. 

Here  is  the  great  kingdom  of  Uganda,  ruled 
by  the  suspicious  and  capricious  M'tesa.  In 
1875  the  world  was  startled  and  delighted  with 
the  message  that  he  wanted  his  people  Christian- 
ized, and  soon  $100,000  were  given  to  the 
missionary  societies  of  England  for  this  purpose  ; 
but  the  king  soon  became  tired  of  his  new 
religion." 

Since  then  this  king  has  shown  great  favor 
to  the  missionaries.  Sixty-eight  persons 
have  been  baptized  including  a  number  of  the 
royal  family.  A  young  chief  has  accepted 
Christianity,  and  sent  away  all  his  wives  but 
one.  The  following  is  a  translation  of  one 
verse  of  "  Safe  in  the  Arms  of  Jesus  :" — 

"  Mu  inikono  gya  ISA : 

Eiuireuibe  bulijo, 
Tetulina  entisa : 

Tulina  esanyu  nyo. 


KIBUGA.  OR  RESIDENCE  OF  THE  KIXG  OF  UGANDA. 


BIBLE  TRANSLATIONS.  115 


Muwulira  edobozi 

Mu  Gulu,  liyogera, 
ISA  Ye  Mulokozi : 
Ye  alina  empera. 

Mu  mikono  gya  ISA 
Emirembe  biilijo; 
Tetulina  eutisa; 
Tulina  esanyu  nyo." 

I  have  just  learned  that  King  INItesa  is 
dead.  One  of  his  sons  has  been  elected  in 
his  stead  without  the  usual  bloodshed,  owing 
to  the  influence  of  the  missionaries.  The 
princess  who  acts  as  "king  sister"  or  queen, 
has  embraced  Christianity. 

I  am  happy  to  learn  that  in  Africa  the 
Bible  has  been  translated  into  eight  langua- 
ges, and  parts  of  the  Bible  are  now  published 
in  twenty-six  other  languages.  Twenty- 
three  societies  have  nearly  six  hundred  mis- 
sionaries at  work  in  Africa ;  there  are  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousanc^Church  members, 
and  hundreds  of  schools  have  been  opened. 
Still,  there  is  only  one  missionary  to  every 
three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  people,  and 
one  church  member  to  every  eight  hundred 
persons. 

One  of  the  wonderful  signs  of  the  times  is 
that  ' '  the  statesmen  who  composed  the  Afri- 


116 


THE  BISHOP  OF  ATEICA. 


can  International  Conference  at  Berlin  saw 
the  importance  of  the  missionary  to  the  new 
State  and  to  the  whole  Congo  Basin.  They 
provided  in  the  compact  which  they  entered 
into  not  only  for  the  freedom  of  trade  and 
the  development  of  the  resources  of  the  coun- 
try, but  for  the  'especial  protection'  of  the 
religious  teacher.  The  paragraph  is  worth 
reproducing :" — 

"All  the  Powers  exercising  sovereign  rights  or 
influence  in  the  aforesaid  territories  bind  them- 
selves to  watch  over  the  preservation  of  the  na- 
tive tribes,  and  to  care  for  the  improvement  of 
the  condition  of  their  moral  and  material  well- 
being,  and  to  help  in  suppressing  slavery,  and 
especiallj'  the  slave  trade.  They  shall,  without 
distinction  or  creed  or  nation,  protect  and  favor 
all  religious,  scientific,  or  charitable  institutions 
and  undertakings  created  and  organized  for  the 
above  ends,  or  which  aim  at  iustructing  the 
natives  and  bringing  home  to  them  the  blessings 
of  civilization.  Christian  missionaries,  scien- 
tists, and  explorers,  with  their  followers,  prop- 
erty, and  collections,  shall  likewise  be  the  ob- 
jects of  especial  pi'otectiou.  Freedom  of  con- 
science and  religious  toleration  are  expressly 
guaranteed  to  the  natives,  no  less  than  to  the 
subjects  (of  the  sovereign  states)  and  to  all  for- 


HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS.  117 


eigners.  The  free  and  public  exercise  of  all 
forms  of  divine  worship,  and  the  right  to  build 
churches,  temples,  and  chapels,  and  to  organize 
religious  missions  belonging  to  all  creeds,  shall 
not  be  limited  or  fettered  in  any  way  whatso- 
ever." 

Africa  has  made  fearful  havoc  with  its 
missionaries.  In  twenty  years  the  English 
Church  Missionary  Society  sent  out  eighty- 
five  missionaries  to  Sierra  Leone,  two  thirds 
of  them  died,  and  fourteen  returned  home 
wrecked.  In  the  same  time  the  Wesley  an 
Missionary  Society  sent  out  eighty-six  mis- 
sionaries, half  of  them  died  and  most  of  the 
rest  went  home  half  dead. 

But  remember  Christ  laid  down  his  pre- 
cious life  for  those  teeming  millions,  -who  are 
so  superstitious  that  they  worship  rivers, 
lakes  and  mountains,  thinkii^  that  the  gods 
d\tell  there,  and  also  snakes,  crocodiles  and 
monkeys,  thinking  that  the  spirits  of  their 
fathers  dwell  in  them.  Hundreds  of  people 
are  killed  at  the  burial  of  a  chief,  and  some- 
times living  women  are  buried  in  his  grave. 

The  following  speech  was  made  before  the 
]\lissionary  Committee  in  New  York,  and 
speaks  for  itself: — 


118  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


Bishop  Taylor  then  addressed  the  committee. 
He  said  the  subject  was  a  great  one.  We  must 
fully  understand  ourselves.  Africa  was  consid- 
erable of  a  place.  It  covered  Liberia,  and  there- 
fore it  was  his  prerogative  to  preside  in  that  Con- 
ference without  being  a  member  thereof ;  the 
General  Superintendents  divide  their  work  among 
themselves,  and  after  that  division  each  has  a 
certain  right  within  the  territory  designated 
which  none  of  the  rest  would  invade.  In  Africa 
he  would  be  a  Bishop,  and  need  join  no  Confer- 
ence. He  certainly  could  not  administer  the 
ofSce  out  of  Africa,  and  no  other  Bishop  could 
administer  in  Africa  without  his  consent.  As  to 
the  right  to  found  missions  in  Africa,  the  conti- 
nent is  open  to  this  Society,  and  it  has  a  right  to 
divide  it  up  into  mission  fields. 

Bishop  Taylor  then  proceeded  to  set  forth  his 
well  known  views  concerning  the  support  of  mis- 
sions. He  said  he  believed  in  God  and  man  and 
Methodism,  and  iu  all  the  doctrines  and  methods 
of  Methodism.  There  are  many  millions  of 
Asiatics  among  whom  mission  work  must  be  sup- 
ported by  the  home  Churches.  But  this  need  not 
be  the  method  everywhere.  Any  man  who  has  n 
head  on  him  and  a  heart  in  him  and  a  pair  of 
legs  to  carry  him  around,  can  be  an  indigenous, 
self-supporting  agency.  He  felt  tliat  whQe  it 
was  the  privilege  of  this  Missionary  Committee 
to  found  missions  wherever  they  like,  he  also 


MISSIOXART  COinilTTEE.  119 


had  the  right  to  use  the  other  method  whenever 
it  can  be  done.  He  es[5lained  that  bv  "  self- 
supporting  "  missions  he  meant  such  as  support 
their  ministers  from  indigenous  resources,  leav- 
ing the  contributions  of  others  as  a  fund  for 
ti-ansit  and  building  purposes.  Such  a  plan  is 
nothing  new,  but  precisely  what  we  do  at  he  me. 
Xow,  this  committee  has  a  right  to  found  mis- 
sions where  they  like.  Such  as  are  founded  by 
them  in  Africa  he  purposed  to  administer  as 
wisely  as  he  could  and  with  the  deepest  in  their 
success  —  but  for  the  missions  which  God  ena- 
bled him  to  plant  in  Africa.  He  did  not  want 
one  penny  of  appropriation  —  it  would  only  do 
them  harm.  He  must  lay  the  G-ospel  granite  of 
these  foundations  down  upon  the  bed-rock  of 
solid  human  character.  By  evident  freedom 
from  motives  of  self-interest  he  must  prove  the 
reality  and  perfect  sincerity  of  his  love  for  tuen, 
and  touch  in  them  the  principles  of  hospitality 
and  sympathy.  Christ  came  to 'our  level.  He 
sought  to  get  his  leverage  in  on  the  bottom  level. 
They  went  as  lambs  among  wolves"  and  it 
seemed  as  though  the  only  good  prospect  was  for 
the  wolves.  But  the  disciples  came  back  so  ex- 
ultant with  success  that  they  forgot  to  say  any- 
thing about  the  question  of  support  until  the 
Master  asked  them  long  after,  "  lacked  ye  any 
thing?"  and  the}'  replied,  "  nothing." 


120 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


When  the  Missionary  Committee  were  dis- 
cussing whether  they  should  make  an  appro- 
priation of  money  for  Africa  : — 

Bishop  Foss  suggested  that  Bishop  Taylor 
might  consent  if  it  was  expUcitly  understood  that 
nothing  should  be  appUed  to  salaries. 

Bishop  Taylor  said  that  those  who  were  going 
with  him  were  volunteers.  None  had  been  asked 
to  go.  So  many  had  offered  themselves  that  he 
had  been  puzzled  how  many  to  take.  With 
much  empliasis  he  said,  he  was  not  going  as  an 
experiment.  They  meant  to  burn  the  bridges 
behind  them ;  they  meant  to  make  a  conquest. 
"Though  I  die  on  the  way  the  thing  will  be 
done,"  was  his  earnest  declaration.  As  for  the 
appropriation,  he  did  not  want  it ;  it  would  only 
hamper  him. 

Bishop  Foss  said  that  there  seemed  to  be  a 
little  decay  among  us  of  true  missionary  heroism. 
In  many  places  there  is  too  much  anxious  ques- 
tioning about  tlie  matter  of  the  precise  amount 
of  salary  in  a  given  field.  It  may  be  tbat  the 
great  Gocl  has  raised  up  Bishop  Taylor  to  arouse 
the  heroism  of  the  (Jhurch.  If  it  was  worth 
wliile  for  Livingstone  and  Barth  and  Stanley  to 
make  trails  of  liglit  across  the  Dark  Continent, 
why  not  for  Bishop  Taylor?  He  wished  that 
just  what  the  Bishoi)  deshed  should  be  done. 


SPEECH  OF  BISHOP  FOSS.  121 


•There  should  be  no  hinderance  to  his  steps.  He 
hoped,  however,  that  Bishop  Taylor  could  coq- 
Beut  to  the  original  motion,  so  as  to  provide  for 
sudden  emergencies.  But  if  Bishop  Taylor 
should  object  he  would  object. 

According  to  the  wish  of  Bishop  Taylor 
the  appropriation  was  not  made. 

The  carefuhiess  of  the  preparation  will  be 
seen  in  the  following  found  in  the  Christian 
Advocate^  N.  Y.  : — 

WILLIAM    TAYLOR'S    EXPEDITION    TO  CENTRAL 
AFRICA. 

By  the  will  of  God  forty  or  more  missionary 
men  and  women  are  preparing  for  an  early  de- 
parture from  their  American  homes  to  go  to  the 
Yushalange  country,  five  degrees  south  of  the 
equator.  They  go  to  labor  among  nations  un- 
known to  history  till  reported  last  January  by 
Lieutenant  Wismann,  of  the  Grfi'man  African 
Geographical  Society.  When  these  missionai-ies 
shall  have  settled  down  in  their  new  fields  of 
labor  they  will  depend  entirely  on  African  re- 
sources for  subsistance,  without  drawing  any 
salary  from  home. 

Tiieir  friends  cheerfully  send  to  our  Transit 
Fluid  the  money  required  for  their  outfit  and 
passage.  The  expenses  of  their  African  inland 
traveling  have  to  be  paid  in  cotton  cloth  and 


122  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


other  useful  things  that  the  natives  can  appre- 
ciate. 

So  I  propose  to  give  the  friends  of  African 
evangelization  an  opportunity  to  send  us  the 
things  needful  for  outfit  and  inland  traveling 
expenses.  I  do  this  because,  first,  there  may  be 
many  persons  who  can  send  us  goods  who  cannot 
so  readily  give  us  money  to  buy  them ;  and, 
second,  we  do  not  really  know  what  we  shall  re- 
quire for  such  a  journey,  and,  hence,  by  this 
method  the  Lord  can  prompt  his  people  to  send 
us  the  varieties  and  quantities  that  he  knows  we 
shall  u,eed.  Leaving,  therefore,  a  margin  for  the 
judgment  and  choice  of  the  donors,  I  will  simply 
indicate  such  things  as  I  think  we  shall  need, 
namely,  in  the  way  of  dry  goods  ;  Middlesex  or 
Washington  Mills  indigo  blue  flannel,  waterproof 
cloth  for  ladies,  gossamer  underwear,  cheap  un- 
bleached cotton  cloth  in  large  quantities,  Turkey 
red,  blue  cotton  drill,  cotton  hose,  hammocks, 
handkerchiefs,  etc.  Sundries:  Pins,  needles, 
thread,  buttons,  buckles,  etc.  Note-paper,  en- 
velopes, slates,  five  by  sevens  inches,  in  large 
quantity  ;  lead  and  slate  pencils  ;  matches  in  tin 
boxes ;  pocket-knives,  hoes,  spades,  shovels, 
etc.  ;  washing  and  toilet  soap ;  small,  cheap 
musical  instruments  and  mirrors,  etc.  A  hand 
printing  press,  suitable  for  octavo  sheets,  with 
paper  to  suit. 

Groceries :  Liebig's  extract  of  meat,  corned 


MISSIONARY  OUTFIT. 


123 


beef  in  cans,  and  a  variety  of  preserved  meats, 
fruits,  vegetables,  milk,  etc. 

Any  of  these  things  may  be  sent  by  the  donors 
in  large  or  small  quantities  marked  as  follows  : 
"For  William  Taylor's  African  Expedition," 
care  of  Messrs.  Baker,  Pratt  &  Co.,  17  Bond 
Street,  New  York.  For  further  information  ad- 
dress me  or  Richard  Grant,  181  Hudson  Street, 
New  York. 

We  have  contracted  for  good  waterproof  tents 
to  cost  $20  each.  Any  person  wishing  to  con- 
tribute a  tent,  and  have  his  name  written  on  it, 
may  send  us  that  amount  and  indicate  that  it  is 
to  pay  for  a  tent,  and  it  will  be  attended  to  till 
the  tents  are  all  taken,  and  the  excess  will  go  for 
passage  of  missionaries.  Our  big  tent  for  wor- 
ship will  cost  $52.  Who  will  be  the  donor  of 
that? 

Humbly  submitted  in  the  name  of  the  Lord, 
by  his  servant,  William  Taylor. 

New  York,  Nov.  18,  1884. 

The  widow  of  the  late  Bishop  Simpson 
paid  for  the  big  tent  for  worship,  in  the  be- 
half of  her  lamented  husband;  to  be  called 
"  The  Bishop  Simpson  Tent." 

At  this  time  Bishop  Taylor  was  busy  ac- 
cepting his  missionaries  and  getting  ready 
his  supplies.    Meanwhile  many  rumors  were 


124  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


abroad  about  this  great  movement ;  some  for 
and  some  against  it.  One  man  wrote  as  fol- 
lows :  "We  shall  see  what  we  shall  see. 
We  confess  we  don't  take  much  stock  in  the 
eccentric  Taylor's  plans.  He  has  a  heart  for 
his  work  but  needs  a  head  to  control  his 
heart.  To  throw  himself  against  the  collec- 
tive wisdom  and  the  traditions  of  the  Church, 
and  thus  to  undertake  the  evangelization  of 
Africa,  as  the  independent  fighter  of  a  wes- 
tern regiment  once  said,  on  his  own  hook, 
seems  to  be  wonderfully  like  the  fool-hardi- 
ness of  a  crank." 

Z ion's  Herald  took  a  calm,  candid  view 
and  said,  "  He  is  a  man  of  God,  of  an 
heroic  mold,  and  full  of  resources  as  well  as 
faith.  There  is  no  occasion  for  any  of  his 
many  friends  to  fear  that  he  will  lack  abun- 
dant pecuniary  aid  as  it  may  be  required. 
Already  he  has  supplies  for  a  year,  and  an 
open  and  direct  line  of  sympathy  with  thou- 
sands of  appreciative  supporters." 

Bishop  Tnylor,  having  finished  his  prepa- 
rations, as  far  as  he  could,  bade  adieu  to  this 
country  December  13,  1884,  and  sailed  to 
Liverpool,  where  he  is  well  known.  He 
found  many  friends  in  England  who  were 


STARTS  FOR  AFRICA. 


125 


very  liberal  with  their  offerings  and  very 
much  pleased  with  his  great  missionary  move- 
ment. On  his  way  to  Liverpool  he  sent  a 
letter  to  the  Hook  Committee  of  the  Church 
that  sent  him  out,  as  follows  : — 

To  THE  Book  Committee  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
CHuncH  :— 

Dear  BretJiren, — I  wish  respectfully  to  call 
yoiu-  thoughtful  attentiou  to  the  status,  relation- 
ship and  rights  of  our  Missionary  Episcopacy. 
The  points  of  difference  between  a  Missionary 
lUshop  and  any  one  of  our  regular  Board  of 
Bishops  pertain  not  to  the  status  and  functions 
of  the  episcopal  otEce,  but  simply  to  minor  con- 
ditions pertaining  to  their  respective  fields  of 
episcopal  jurisdiction.  By  the  action  of  the 
Board  of  Bishops,  under  the  Discipline,  the  field 
of  each  bishop  for  one  year  is  defined  :ind  limited 
and  officially  announced  in  the  plan  of  Episcopal 
Visitation.  By  the  action  ofthe  General  Con- 
ference a  foreign  continent  is  assigned  to  their 
Missionary  Bishop,  without  time  limitations  or 
any  authoritative  interferences  whatever,  during 
good  behavior,  except  that  of  subsequent  ac- 
tion by  a  General  Conference.  Their  Missionary 
Bishop  is  invested  with  the  same  episcopal  func- 
tions in  Africa  as  those  of  the  regular  College  of 
Bishops  in  their  fields  of  episcopal  jurisdiction ; 


126  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA 


and  as  none  of  them  have  the  right  to  go  into  the 
field  of  another  to  exercise  episcopal  functions 
without  the  consent  of  the  incumbent,  so  no  one 
of  them  has  a  right  to  exercise  episcopal  func- 
tions in  Africa  without  the  consent  of  its  bishop. 
As  we  have  two  methods  financially  of  founding 
churches  in  America  —  first,  the  primary  self- 
supporting  method  as  exemplified  in  about  nine- 
tenths  of  our  home  Churches  and  the  Churches  of 
the  South  India  Conference,  and  second,  the 
moi'e  modern  method  of  founding  Churches  by 
the  appointment  of  men  and  the  appropriation 
of  money  for  their  support,  under  the  auspices 
of  our  Missionary  Society  —  so  under  the  late 
amendments  of  the  Discipline  the  first  as  well  as 
the  second  of  these  methods  has  become  legiti- 
mate in  foreign  countries  under  the  law  of  the 
Church. 

As  the  episcopal  supervision  of  our  regular 
Board  of  Bishops  applies  alike  to  both  these 
methods  and  to  the  Church  founded  under 
them,  so  the  episcopal  supervision  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Bishop  applies  in  Africa  alike  to  both 
these  methods  and  to  the  Churches  founded  under 
them.  As  the  home  Bishops  are  not  the  em- 
ployees of  the  Missionary  Society,  nor  hence  de- 
pendent on  said  Society  for  their  support,  so  the 
Missionary''  Bishop  is  not  an  employee  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Society,  nor  hence  dependent  on  that 
Society  for  his  support.    The  regular  Bishops 


LETTER  TO  BOOK  C05IMITTEE.  127 

and  the  Missionary  Bishops  are  alike  the  episco" 
pal  servants  of  the  Church,  under  tlie  authority 
of  the  General  Conference  ;  hence,  both  are  alike 
entitled  to  a  support  directly  from  the  Church 
through  "the  Episcopal  Fund."  "The  laborer 
is  worthy  of  his  hire,"  to  be  paid  by  the  party 
employing  him.  When  the  Missionary  Society 
employ  a  missionary  they  pay  him  "  his  hire." 
When  a  self-supporting  Church,  at  home  or 
abroad,  accepts  the  appointment  of  a  minister, 
they  thereby  assume  the  responsibility  of  his 
support. 

But  when  a  Missionary  Bishop,  or  founder  of 
Churches  in  foreign  countries,  goes  forth  on  his 
own  account  he  must  make  tents,  or  otherwise 
provide  for  his  own  support,  or,  if  sent  forth 
under  competent  authority,  should  be  supported 
by  the  body  under  whose  authority  he  is  sent. 
These  facts  are  so  simple  and  self-evident  as  not 
to  require  argument  to  support  them. 

Now,  my  dear  brethren,  I  write  thus,  not  so 
much  for  my  own  sake,  as  for^the  sake  of  the 
office  of  a  Missionary  Episcopacy.  God  is  leading 
our  Church  in  this  direction  to  increase  her  effi- 
ciency for  conquering  the  continents  of  heathen- 
ism in  foreign  lands ;  hence  the  propriety  of  in- 
troducing this  subject  now.  The  Missionary 
Committee,  at  its  recent  session,  tacitly  conceded 
the  facts  I  have  stated,  hence  did  not,  by  appro- 
priations nor  otherwise,  establish  a  claim  to  juris- 


128  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


diction  over  me,  nor  over  any  portion  of  Africa 
beyond,  nor  over  the  self-supporting  Churches  that 
God  may  enable  me  to  establish  in  Africa.  They 
made  simply  their  usual  appropriations  to  Liberia 
yet  have,  of  course,  the  undisputed  right  to  found 
in  Africa,  by  their  own  favorite  method,  as  many 
missions  as  they  may  elect  to  found  and  to  exer- 
cise jurisdiction  over  all  such,  but  not  over  any 
self-supporting  Churches.  My  tenn  of  official 
ser\  ICC  for  the  Church  may  date  from  the  day  of 
m}- departure  for  Africa  —  December  13th  inst. 
The  amount  of  compensation  I  leave  to  your  own 
godly  judgment  of  the  sacrifice  and  service  to  be 
rendered. 

The  traveling  expenses  of  our  Bishops  in  for- 
eign countries  are  paid  from  the  missionary  treas- 
ury. As  in  the  past,  so  in  the  future,  the  Lord 
willing,  I  will  pay  my  own  traveling  expenses  in 
all  my  foreign  work,  and  draw  nothing  from  the 
missionary  treasury,  yet  attend  to  their  branch 
of  my  work  with  no  less  fidelity  on  that  account. 

Please  give  me  an  official  re^wrt  of  your  de- 
cision, and  inform  me  when,  and  on  whom,  and 
for  what  amount  I  may  draw. 

Address  me  by  mail  at  St.  Paul  de  Loanda, 
West  Coast  of  Africa.    I  remain,  dear  brothers, 
Your  humble  servant, 
(Signed),  William  Taylob. 

S.  S.  City  of  Berlin,  Dec.  20,  1884. 


VARIOUS  OPINIONS. 


129 


It  is  just  to  say  that  this  Committee  had  an 
honest  diflereuce  of  opinion  on  this  subject 
and  sent  baclv  a  candid  reply,  that,  in  their 
judgment  his  support  would  legitimately 
come  from  the  ISIissionary  Committee.  I 
suppose  the  matter  will  remain  unsettled  till 
the  next  General  Conference.  And  I  beg 
the  true  friends  of  Bishop  Taylor  not  to  stir 
up  strife,  nor  manifest  any  unkind  feelings 
toward  any  parties.  Bishop  Taylor  is  amply 
provided  for  in  the  affections  and  liberal  offer- 
ings of  the  people,  and  it  will  take  no  special 
pleading  to  furnish  him  all  the  money  that  he 
needs,  either  from  England  or  America,  or 
from  Australia  either.  The  wealth  of  three 
continents  is  under  contribution  to  support 
him  when  it  is  necessary. 

Since  writing  this  I  have  learned  that  the 
friends  of  Bishop  Taylor,  in  Sidney,  New 
South  Wales,  Australia,  liave  sent  about 
$485  to  Richard  Grant,  for  the  evangelization 
of  Africa.  So  the  ends  of  the  earth  have 
their  eyes  open  to  this  great  work  to  supply 
all  its  needs. 

At  the  same  time  there  are  so  many  calls 
for  missionaries,  and  so  many  have  been  sent 
out,  and  so  man}''  are  getting  ready  to  go, 


130  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


and  so  much  money  is  needed,  not  only  to 
pay  their  passage,  but  also  to  buy  land  on 
which  to  build  schools,  colleges  or  chapels, 
both  in  ludia.  South  America  and  Africa, 
iuid  with  the  treasury  already  overdrawn  four 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  I  say  there  is  now 
a  loud  call  for  a  million  dollars  for  each  of 
these  Continents.  As  many  of  God's  stewards 
are  looking  round  to  find  some  safe  way  of 
investing  God's  money  in  their  possession, 
where  it  will  pay  dividends  from  the  Bank  of 
Faith  through  all  eternity,  they  will  do  well 
to  turn  their  attention  in  this  direction.  For 
their  special  benefit  I  put  in  the  following  : — 

FORM  OF  BEQUEST. 

/  give  and  bequeath  unto  "  The  Transit 
and  Building  Fund  Society  of  Bishop  Wil- 
liam Taylor's  Self- Supporting  Missions,"  a 
corporation  duly  organized  under  the  laws  of 
the  State  of  New  York  at  the  City  of  New 
York,  in  said  Slate,  the  sum  of 
Dollars  to  be  applied  to  the  uses  of  said  So- 
ciety. 

This  form-may  be  xised  for  fehe-ioau-Fuud 
also,  by  changing  the  words  "The  Transit 
and  Building  Fund,"  to  the  "  Loan  Fund  of 


A  FORM  OF  BEQUEST.  131 


Smte^Y  of  Bishop  William  Taylor's  Self- 
Sttpporting  Mission-."  The  Transit  and 
Building  Fund  is  to  pay  the  passage  of  mis- 
sionaries and  to  give  them  an  outfit.  The 
Loan  Fund  is  to  buy  land  and  help  to  erect 
buildiugs  thereon,  as  the  case  may  be,  and 
this  money  is  to  be  paid  back  to  the  corpor- 
ation as  soon  as  convenient,  and  loaned  to 
other  parties. 

For  instance,  when  Mr.  Grant's  daughter 
was  going  out  to  Concepcion,  South  America, 
it  was  decided  that  land  must  be  bought  and 
buildings  erected,  that  would  cost,  at  least, 
five  thousand,  five  hundred  dollars.  This 
suggested  the  need  of  a  Loan  Fund,  and 
Brother  Grant  started  that  fund  by  giving 
that  five  thousand,  five  hundred  dollars  out 
of  his  own  pocket.  The  next  time  the  cor- 
poration met  they  were  so  pleased  with  the 
matter  that  they  subscribed  enough  to  make 
it  up  to  twelve  thousand  doll  ars. 

Since  then  they  have  loaned  two  thousand 
dollars  to  Eev.  J.  P.  Gilliland,  to  help  to 
buy  land  and  erect  a  school  building  at 
Iquique.  And  so  they  propose  to  go  on  until 
they  have  a  freehold  footing  all  over  their 
mission  fields. 


132 


THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


Who  will  make  the  first  investment  of 
$100,000?  Re^idcr,  what  does  the  Master 
say  to  you  in  this  case  ?  What  will  he  say 
to  you  at  the  great  day  of  final  account? 
Act  so  that  he  will  say,  "Well  done,  good 
and  faithful  servant,  thou  hast  been  faithful 
over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over 
many  things,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy 
Lord." 

The  Congregationalist  of  Boston  is  inclined 
to  wonder  why  the  apostle  of  self-support, 
who  is  leading  out  so  many  missionaries  to 
live  among  heathens,  and  to  live  upon  them, 
too,  should  ask  for  support,  and  wonders  why 
he  should  not  do  as  his  fellow-workers  are  to 
do. 

I  would  rather  Bishop  Taylor  should  speak 
for  himself.  But  we  may  observe  that,  as 
the  Church  has  taken  him  away  from  his 
chosen  work,  and  from  the  sale  of  his  books, 
and  chosen  his  work  for  him,  and  sent  him 
into  the  hardest  missionary  field  of  the 
world,  that,  therefore,  he  had  a  right  to  ex- 
pect that  that  same  church,  and  not  the  Mis- 
sionary Society,  should  give  him  a  support. 
But  we  may  difler  in  our  judgment  till  the 
next  General  Conference,  when  the  combined 


A  KINDLY  LETTER. 


133 


wisdom  of  the  Church  will  set  this  matter 
right. 

Many  were  disposed  to  find  fault  with 
"William  Taylor  and  his  African  movement, 
but  then  the  solx;r  common  sense  of  the 
church  will  come  to  the  rescue.  I  hope  the 
special  friends  of  Bishop  Taylor  will  keep 
cool,  and  not  hinder  the  cause  by  unkind  or 
unjust  remarks.  I  am  much  pleased  with 
the  following. 

Rev.  Frederick  Merrick  writes  as  follows  : — 

"There  is  something  unseemly  in  the  discus- 
sion which  is  going  on  in  reference  to  the  move- 
ment of  Bishop  Taylor.  Better  all  betnke  onr- 
selves  to  prayer.  Let  prayer  be  made  without 
ceasing  that  God  would  have  the  Bishop  and  his 
devoted  band  under  His  special  care,  and  that 
He  would  open  to  them  great  doors  and  effectual 
for  the  preaching  of  His  Word.  Let  all  pray 
that  no  strange  tire  be  found  to  mingle  in  the 
warmth  of  the  controversy,  and  that  no  unjust 
prejudices  be  formed  that  sh^ll  in  any  way  tend 
to  hinder  the  work  of  God.  Let  prayer  be 
made  that  the  church  may  not  abuse  this  unusual 
movement  by  finding  in  it  an  excuse  for  its  par- 
simonious giving ;  but  that,  instead,  its  heart 
may  be  stirred  to  far  greater  liberality.  And  let 
not  this  band  be  forgotten  in  the  distribution  to 
the  saints. 


134  THE  felfcHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


God  manifestly  has  some  great  and  gracious 
purpose  toward  Africa.  How  wonderful  the 
discoveries  in  that  continent  within  the  last  few 
decades  !  The  discovery  of  America  was  hardly 
more  wonderful.  The  movement  of  Bishop 
Taylor  seems,  in  its  moral  grandeur,  wondrously 
in  harmony  with  the  general  movement.  Who 
doubts  there  was  a  Divine  guidance  in  the  move- 
ments of  Livingstone,  Stanley  and  others  in  open- 
ing the  continent  to  the  Christian  world?  And 
why  should  it  be  thought  a  thing  incredible  that 
God  should  have  had  a  hand  in  the  strange 
selection  of  this  somewhat  anomalous  agency 
for  occupying  a  portion,  and  a  very  important 
portion,  of  the  territory  for  Christ?  Certainly 
it  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  been  of  raan'8 
devising.  It  seems  to  have  taken  some  by  sur- 
prise who  might  have  been  expected  to  have 
been  the  chief  agents  in  dh-ectiug  the  movement. 
What  if  such  find  some  difficulty  in  adjusting 
themselves  to  so  unsuspected  an  order  of  things? 
It  is  hardly  safe  to  discard,  as  some  seem  in- 
clined to  do,  the  idea  of  Divine  interposition 
from  an  apparent  lack  of  wisdom  in  the  move- 
ment. God  sometimes  finds  it  necessary  to 
teach  His  people  how  insufficient  they  are  of 
themselves  to  carry  forward  his  work.  They 
are  prone  to  forget  that  it  is  not  by  might,  nor 
by  power,  but  by  His  spu-it  the  work  of  saving 
souls  is  accomplished.    He  must  choose  His  own 


TRUE  FAirn. 


135 


instruments  and  methods.  'The  foolishness  of 
God  is  wiser  than  men.'  'So  then  neither  is 
lie  that  planteth  anj'thing,  nor  he  that  watereth, 
but  God  that  giveth  the  increase.'  It  may  he 
well  for  all  to  act  cautiously,  lest,  peradventure 
some,  unwittingly,  be  found  tighting  against 
God.    '  Lord,  increase  our  faith  !' 

Let  those  opposed  to  self-supporting  missions 
redouble  their  donations  to  the  regular  mission 
work,  for  there  is  great  need  of  it,  and  most, 
undoubtedly,  might  and  ought  to  do  it ;  and  let 
those  who  are  disposed  to  commend  this  African 
mission  for  its  trust  to  providential  support, 
inquire  prayerfully  if  they  have  not  providen- 
tially been  given  the  means  needed  to  meet  the 
exigencies  of  this  work,  and  so  made,  in  a 
measure  responsible  for  its  success.  True  faith 
works — works  by  love.  With  a  burning  zeal 
for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  redemption  of  the 
greatly-abused  continent,  with  the  utmost  sincer- 
it}'^  and  earnestness,  let  each  inquire,  '  Lord, 
what  wilt  Thou  have  me  to  do?'  Holy  Father, 
richly  baptize  Thy  people  with  the  spirit  of  the 
wisdom  and  power  of  a  divine  love !  Theirs 
shall  be  the  benefit.  Thine  the  glory.    Amen  ! " 

Rev.  J.  O.  Knowles,  D.  D.,  writes  some 
kind  and  timely  things.  It  is  just  lilce  his 
l<ind  and  generous  heart  to  express  himself 
as  follows : — 


13G 


THE  BISnOP  OF  AFRICA. 


"What  is  the  cause  of  this  latest  sensation ? 
Simply  this  :  Bishop  Taylor  has  found  a  company 
of  royal  men  and  women,  who,  with  himself, 
propose  to  plant  the  Gospel  in  the  heart  of  the 
'  Dark  Continent,'  and  have  settled  in  their 
minds  that  they  will  not  ask  the  over-burdened 
missionary  treasury  for  a  penny  ;  whereupon,  the 
cowardice  latent  in  human  nature  wakes  up  a 
little  and  paradoxically  whispers,  'This  whole 
business  will  dampen  missionary  zeal  nnd  dry  up 
missionary  contributions  ! '  Cowardice  is  gen- 
erally silly  and  puts  on  its  tallest  '  fool's  cap ' 
when  it  hints  such  an  absurdity.  As  though 
the  great  Church  of  Christ  is  shut  up  to  but  one 
method !  Or,  if  two  could  be  found,  they  must 
be  self-destructive !  Ought  the  Mission  Board 
to  refuse  a  check  for  $100,000  because  it  does 
not  come  in  the  regular  collections?  Or,  if  a 
trader  on  the  coast  of  Guinea  should  go  to 
preaching  the  Gospel  without  asking  them  for 
salary  or  authority,  ought  they  by  telegraph  and 
messengers  to  notify  him  to  stop,  lest  missionary 
collections  should  '  dry  up.' 

The  '  Pauline  method '  concerning  which  some 
are  displaying  a  tittle  innocent  but  unnecessary 
ignoi'ance,  was  simply  '  by  all  means  to  save 
some.'  Paul,  to  do  a  part  of  his  work,  earned 
his  own  bread  and  asked  no  authority  from  the 
church  ;  but  did  he  tumble  down  the  church  by 
80  doing  ?    He  '  took  letters '  when  be  needed 


THE  PAULINE  METHOD. 


137 


them,  and  pay  too, — at  times;  and  raised  mis- 
sionary money  until  he  could  honestly  boast  of 
it.  He  is  the  author  of  the  system  of  "  weekly 
offerings  "  in  the  churches.  Bishop  Taylor  does 
not  assail  the  Missionar}-  Society  ;  he  simply  sets 
himself  to  try  one  of  Paul's  methods.  If  he 
succeeds  —  as  God  grant  he  may  !  — will  it  undo 
the  work  of  the  last  fifty  years  ?  Does  civiliza- 
tion stand  still  and  rot  when  the  pioneer,  with 
salt  pork  and  hard-tack  in  his  knapsack,  goes 
into  the  wilderness?  Surely  the  independent 
explorer  prevents  the  rot  of  civilization  and  sets 
all  its  tides  to  pulsing  along  the  trails  he  blazes. 
Let  Bishop  Taylor  and  his  brave  company  suc- 
ceed, and  it  will  stimulate  the  flow  of  missionar3' 
contributions  as  all  the  'appeals' of  the  last 
twenty  years  have  not  been  able  to  do.  May 
not  the  inspiration  of  this  dash,  self-sacrifice 
and  faith  quicken  the  stinted  flow  we  have  spent 
so  much  time  and  shed  so  much  ink  in  deploring  ? 
This  new  movement  on  Africa  will  not  hinder 
our  general  missionary  wo^i  ;  but  this  contro- 
versy springing  up  will  do  so,  and  the  shallowest 
practical  wisdom  can  see  it. 

'Observer,'  who,  in  his  New  York  letter 
printed  in  the  Herald  of  March  4,  hints  that 
Africa  may  prove  'our  Soudan,'  must  remcuihcr 
that  the  fault  in  Egypt  was  not  in  the  'Pauline 
method 'of  Gen.  Gordon,  but  in  the  stupidity, 
fussiness  and  incapacity  of   the  regulars.  He 


138  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


seems  to  be  mildly  '  going  for '  Bishop  Taylor ; 
but  his  illiistratjou  logically  reflected  upon  the 
Missionary  Board.  Let  the  whole  church  pra}' 
for  Bishop  Taylor  and  the  heroes  who  attend  him 
in  this  trul}'  Christian  missionary  enterprise,  and 
let  this  praying  help  the  whole  church  to  wake 
up  to  the  duty  offering,  and  fill  the  missionary 
treasury  that  we  may  push  our  organized  work 
along  the  track  of  personal  devotion  !  " 

The  latest  news  from  South  America  is 
that  the  government  of  Chili  has  thrown 
off  the  incubus  of  Catholicism  by  dis- 
establishing it  as  a  State  Church.  So  that 
Mr.  Taylor's  Misssions  and  Christian  schools 
will  help  to  save  this  people  from  infidelity. 

I  learn,  also,  that  such  is  the  prosperity  of 
our  College  at  Santiago  that  the  income  from 
tuition  and  board,  last  year,  was  $25,000. 
So  that  this  institution  is  well  prepared  to 
support  itself.  Many  leading  families  in 
that  region  utterly  refuse  to  have  their  chil- 
dren taught  in  the  Catholic  church. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Hamilton,  who  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  last  General  Conference,  wi-ites  as 
follows  to  the  Novlliern  Christian  AdvO' 
cale ; — 


A  FORCIBLE  LETTER. 


139 


"  The  letter  of  "William  Taylor  to  the  Book 
Committee,  will  open  the  eyes  of  the  Church 
more  and  more  as  the  students  of  the  Discipline 
and  the  General  Confei-ence  journals  come  to 
take  the  time  which  the  African  Bishop  found  on 
the  high  seas,  to  look  into  this  subject.  There  is 
but  a  single  provision  in  the  law  of  the  Church  now 
existing  that  can  be  made  to  apply  to  this  case 
of  WiUiara  Taylor,  and  that  is  to  be  found  in  the 
changes  of  the  restrictive  rule  begun  in  the  Gen- 
sral  Conference  of  1856,  and  consummated  by 
the  action  of  the  annual  conferences  held  after- 
wards and  voting  in  favor  of  the  change.  All 
legislation  relating  to  Bishop  Burns  or  Bishop 
Roberts  was  special  and  could  not  apply  to  any 
other  Bishop,  or  Bishops  without  being  revised 
by  another  special  enactment. 

The  status  of  an  African  Bishop,  as  deter- 
mined by  Dr.  Buckley,  editor  of  the  New  York 
Christian  Advocate,  who  has  a  special  acuteness 
for  jurisprudence,  which  is  usually  interested  in 
bringing  matters  to  a  more  i^liable  issue,  is  there- 
fore purely  gratuitous  and  not  statutory.  The 
precedent  which  he  would  apply  to  Bishop  Tay- 
lor, will  no  more  rightfully  apply  to  him  than  tlie 
law  enacted  at  the  same  time  for  the  Liberia 
Conference,  will  now  apply  to  that  body.  It  was 
resoU  ed  that  "  The  Liberia  Conference  shall  be 
under  the  general  supervision  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  as  our  foreign  missions  now 


140  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


are."  But  the  General  Conference  of  18G8  marte 
the  Ijibsria  Conference  in  point  of  legal  privi' 
lege  as  the  New  York  East.  Since  the  African 
Bishop  is  no  longer  "  off  color,"  why  siiould  he 
then  be  off  grade  ?  The  Conference  in  Liberia  is 
entitled  to  as  big  a  Bishop  as  the  Conference  in 
New  York.  This  was  not  wholly  unknown  or 
out  of  mind  at  the  General  Conference  in  Phila- 
delphia last  May,  as  may  appear  when  the  latest 
developments  make  known  all  that  was  said 
"  behind  the  scenes." 

The  bishopric,  whether  in  America  or  in  Africa, 
is  both  an  office  and  an  order.  As  an  office  it  is 
jurisdictional ;  as  an  order  it  possesses  the  un- 
questioned and  unlimited  right  within  the  law  to 
confer  orders.  In  Africa  we  limit  the  office  to 
Africa,  but  the  order  is  neither  limited  nor  re- 
strained, it  may  run  out  into  the  wiiole  world. 

'  Tlie  currents  sweep  the  Old  World, 

The  currents  swcfp  tho  New. 
The  wind  will  blow,  the  dawn  will  glow 

Ere  thou  hast  sailed  them  through.' 

William  Taylor  is  as  much  a  Bishop,  in  the 
nature  and  grade  of  his  order,  as  the  Bishop  of 
London.  All  he  needs  to  widen  his  jurisdiction 
is  a  vote  of  the  General  Conference ;  no  one 
would  certainly  claim  that  he  must  receive  new 
prerogatives,  by  being  a  second  time  ordained. 
His  is  simply  a  diocean  episcopacy." 


CASE  OF  BISHOP  COKE.  141 


He  then  compares  this  case  of  William 
Taylor  with  that  of  Bishop  Coke,  and  closes 
by  saying  :— 

"  The  circumstances  of  the  restrictions  differ  of 
course  in  the  case  of  Thomas  Coke  from  those  in 
the  case  of  William  Taylor,  but  the  powers  re- 
maining under  the  restinctions  differ  in  no  partic- 
ular. Thomas  Coke  came  down  from  the  Gen- 
eral Superintendency  to  a  diocean  episco]  acy,  as 
William  Taylor  may  some  day  go  up  from  the 
diocean  superintendency  to  the  general  episco- 
pacy." 

In  writing  the  life  of  this  wonderful  man  of 
God  it  has  been  suggested  to  me  that  Wil- 
liam Taylor  was,  to  all  intents  and  purpoi-es, 
an  Apostle,  sent  by  God  to  open  and  estab- 
lish missions  in  all  the  earth,  before  he  was 
elected  a  Bishop ;  and  inasmuch  as  we  all 
know  that  an  apostlesl^p  is  higher  than  a 
bishopric,  then  in  this  sense,  it  was  a  conde- 
cension  on  his  part  to  accept  this  office  of  a 
Bishop.  But  as  he  did  not  give  up  the  apos- 
tleship  to  become  a  Bishop,  therefore,  he  is 
now,  in  the  providence  of  God,  both  an 
Apostle  and  a  Bishop. 

And   thus   he   is  honored  by  earth  and 


142 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFlilCA. 


heaven  ;  for  while  man  made  him  a  Bishop, 
God  made  him  an  Apostle. 

And  as  God  has  some  special  favors  to  be- 
stow upon  the  sons  of  Ham,  on  the  conti- 
nent of  Africa,  he  has  raised  up  this  apostolic 
man  and  given  him  full  authority  from  earth 
and  heaven  to  go  forth  to  scatter  heavenly  light 
amid  the  hellish  darkness  that  has  so  long 
pervaded  that  sin-cursed  land.  And  having 
pi'epared  and  sent  forth  this  special  minister 
for  this  special  purpose  he  will  especially 
sustain  and  prosper  both  him  and  his  co- 
laborers  in  this  heaven-born  enterprise.  So 
let  all  doubts  be  forever  banished  from  all 
minds,  God  is  in  the  field,  leading  on  his 
militant  hosts  to  certain  victories,  till  "all 
the  ends  of  the  earth  shall  see  the  salvation 
of  God." 

Let  us  pray  for  this  and  labor  for  it,  and 
give  of  our  money,  and  thus  help  on  the  con- 
quest of  the  world.  I  am  glad  to  find  that 
reinforcements  ai'e  forthcoming  already. 
Ministers  are  feeling  that  they  must  go  to 
Africa,  and  money  is  being  raised  to  send 
them  out. 


PREACHING  IN  MONROVIA.  143 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

BISHOP  TAYLOR  IN  AFRICA  AND  HIS  COMP.VNY 
FOLLOWING  ON. 

The  following  letter  from  TJie  Christian 
Standard  speaks  for  itself,  from  Bishop 
Taylor  :— 

Monrovia,  Liberia,  Feb.  5,  1885. 

Rev.  E.  I.  D.  Pepper  :— 

Dear  Bro,  — I  arrived  here  by  the  steamship 
Gaboon,  on  Thursday,  7.30  p.  m.,  the  22nd  Jaa 
(ult.)  I  preached  in  our  Church  here  the  same 
night  to  a  small  congregatiojj^.  On  Friday  at 
4  p.  M.  I  preached  in  Krootowu,  in  Miss  Mary 
Sharp's  school  house.  Except  Satui'days  I  have 
held  two  special  services  daily  ever  since  that  at 
Krootown,  at  4.30  p.  m.,  and  to  crowds  in  our 
Church  at  Monrovia  at  7.30  p.  m.,  and  meantime 
have  held  the  Conference  of  six  days,  including 
Sabbath.  We  have  had,  and  are  having  a  pre- 
cious work  of  salvation  in  the  Entire  Sanctifi- 
catiou  of  believers  ;  and  the  conversion  of  many 


144  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


sinners,  I  don't  know  how  many.  We  have 
from  twenty  to  ^hirty  seekers  forward  each  night, 
for  ten  days  past  and  a  few  of  them  saved  at 
each  meeting.  Some  of  them  shout  all  over  the 
house,  and  some  from  house  to  house  nearly  all 
oyer  the  town.  Sister  Amanda  Smith  is  here  at 
the  front  and  as  usual  doing  grand  service. 
Monrovia  is  built  on  a  peninsula  about  two  miles 
long  and  a  mile  wide,  a  high  uneven  hill,  iron 
stone  gravel,  and  huge  boulders,  basaltic,  with 
seven  or  eight  per  cent,  of  iron. 

The  water  from  wells  is  good,  the  climate 
salubrious  and  equable.  It  seems  to  be  a 
healthy  place.  The  people  seem  to  be  in  good 
health,  but  few  of  them  ill,  most  of  them  in  very 
moderate  circumstances  financially,  but  in  the 
main  they  dress  well,  and  present  a  good  appear- 
ance. I  enjoy  this  climate,  eat  well,  sleep  well, 
work  hard,  and  keep  close  to  Jesus.  I  have 
great  cause  of  gratitude  to  God,  and  nothing 
to  complain  about,  and  no  disposition  to  be 
dissatislied  with  God  or  man.  God's  ways  are 
in  accord  witli  Ilis  infinite  wisdom,  righteous- 
ness, and  love.  Man's  ways  accord  with  the 
various  standards  of  their  education,  the  per- 
versities of  their  nature,  and  with  the  transfor- 
mations of  grace  in  those  who  are  saved,  but, 
so  far  as  they  touch  me  peisonally,  I  have  no 
complaint  to  lay  agaiust  any,  but  am  a  debtor 
alike  to  civilized  and  savage  people  for  per- 


LOVE  TO  GOD  AND  MAN.  145 

sonal  kindness  according  to  their  opportunity. 
Next  to  my  supreme  love  to  God,  I  love  man- 
kind, and  live  to  honor  God  and  do  good  to 
man.  I  will  (D.  V.)  spend  next  Sabbath  at 
Virginia,  up  the  St.  Paul's  river,  preaching  there 
through  the  Sabbath,  and  on  Monday  and  Tues- 
day visit  a  few  other  stations  on  that  river.  On 
Wednesday  we  expect  our  English  steamer 
going  south,  by  which  I  hope  to  get  a  passage 
to  Gi-eat  Bassa  about  eighty  miles  south.  I  will 
have  spent  a  month  in  Liberia,  if  I  get  passage 
by  the  S.  S.  Nubia,  on  tlie  22nd  inst.,  on  which 
I  hope  to  join  my  band  of  heroic  men,  women, 
and  children  who  were  to  sail  from  New  York 
on  the  22nd  of  January,  the  day  of  my  arrival 
here.    Glory  to  God.    Your  Brother, 

Wm.  Taylor. 

I  find  still  another  letter  from  the  same  : — 

Monrovia,  Liberia,  Feb.  6. 
My  Dear  Brethren, — I  report  progress  by  say- 
ing that  I  arrived  here  at  7.30  p.m.,  on  Thurs- 
day, 22d  ult.,  the  day  my  people  were  to  sail 
from  New  York.  I  preached  that  night  in  our 
church  here.  I  had  written  our  people  in  tiiis 
place  that  I  wanted  to  prc&ch  in  Monrovia  a 
week  before  Conference.  By  the  special  Prov- 
idence of  God,  I  arrived  just  one  week  before 


146  THE  BISUOP  or  AFRICA. 


Conference,  and  found  the  people  assembled 
and  waiting  for  me.  Although  the  steamer  to 
stop  here  did  not  arrive  for  nearly  a  week  late, 
I  arrived  on  time  exactly  by  a  steamer  that  was 
not  to  stop  here,  but  did  stop  solely  for  my 
accommodation.  So  I  stepped  in  on  time,  as 
usual. 

I  have  a  delightful  home  with  President  Henry 
Cooper  and  his  family,  from  Virginia,  but  many 
years  resident  here.  I  have  the  best  of  accom- 
modations every  way,  and  not  more  than  one  or 
two  mosquitoes  a  week.  No  fleas,  no  gnats,  no 
bedbugs,  nor  big-bugs,  nor  humbugs,  that  I  wot 
of.    The  climate  is  delightful. 

I  have  been  holding  from  two  to  three  ser- 
vices daily  for  over  two  weeks  that  I  have  been 
here,  besides  holding  the  Liberia  Conference. 
We  have  had  a  pleasant  session  of  the  Confer- 
ence,— a  number  of  Christians  sanctified  wholly, 
and  for  the  last  ten  days  we  have  daily  from 
fifteen  to  thirty  seekers  of  pardon  at  the  front, 
and  many  have  professed  conversion  to  God. 
At  almost  any  hour,  day  or  night,  we  hear  in  the 
homes  of  the  people,  in  all  parts  of  the  town, 
the  ti-iumphant  shouts  of  new-born  souls. 

Sister  Amanda  Smith  is  with  us,  in  the  power 
and  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  as  usual.  God 
has  yet  much  work  for  her  to  do  li  this  land, 
and  she  will  follow  His  orders. 


MISS  sharp's  account.  147 


I  will  (D.  V.)  work  a  few  days  at  different 
stations  up  the  St.  Paul's  River,  and  a  few  da^s 
in  the  Grand  Bassa  country,  about  eighty  miles 
south  of  this  point ;  then  join  the  steamship 
Nubia,  on  which  I  hope  to  meet  my  heroic  men, 
women,  and  children,  from  New  York. 

Glory  to  God  for  what  He  has  done  for  us, 
and  for  what  He  is  going  to  do  here  and  in 
South  Central  Africa ! 

Sister  Mary  Sharp  is  doing  a  good  work  hero 
in  the  Kroo  tribe  of  natives.  I  have  been 
preaching  daily  to  them.    Your  brother, 

"William  Taylor. 

Miss  Mary  A.  Sharp  sends  the  following 
account : — 

She  says:  "Bishop  Taylor  arrived  on  Jan- 
uary 22nd  atter  dark.  He  has  preached  twice 
a  day  every  week  day,  every  afternoon  at  Kroo- 
town  to  a  native  audience.  We  are  having  a 
wonderful  work  of  grace  there,  ^'^esterday  a 
powerfully  built  man  said  :  '  Last  night  I  began 
to  pray, — Me  say  Lord  Jesus,  me  don't  ivuow 
you.  I  have  stood  about  you  and  I  come  to 
you.  Now  me  beg  3-ou  to  save  me.'  In  the 
church  at  Monrovia  the  altar  is  crowded  with 
seekers  for  pardon  and  seekers  for  holy 
hearts. — Yesterday,  the  29th,  Conference  con- 
vened.   All  the  members  were  present  but  two. 


148 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFKICA. 


The  Bishop  presided.  After  the  session  he 
dined  hurriedly,  and  then  went  down  to  Kroo- 
town  to  my  bamboo  chui-ch.  On  the  way  back 
he  met  some  one  pressing  him  to  go  and  help 
another  into  the  light.  Then  he  pi'eached  again 
until  10  o'clock  at  the  church  in  Monrovia. 
The  fever  will  have  no  chance  at  him  with  such 
prodigious  work.  God  is  with  us.  Glory  to 
His  name  !" — Northern  Advocate. 

While  Bishop  Taylor  was  sailing  from 
Liverpool  to  Liberia  his  missionary  band 
were  directing  their  steps  toward  the  city  of 
New  York.  Brother  Withey  had  been 
there  some  time,  assisting  Brother  Grant  in 
getting  ready  the  many  needed  supplies. 

Special  meetings,  for  a  Pentecostal  bap- 
tism, were  appointed  in  the  Carrol  Park 
Methodist  Church,  Brooklyn,  whose  pastor, 
Rev.  Mr.  McBride  and  people  very  kindly 
furnished  homes  for  these  pilgrims.  Rev. 
J.  D.  Griffin  presided.  The  ever  blessed 
Holy  Ghost  rested  upon  the  people  from 
time  to  time.  God  manifested  himself  in 
great  power  in  these  meetings,  many  were 
sanctified  and  some  were  converted. 
Heaven's  glory  filled  the  place. 

Here  was  Rev.  Ross  Taylor  the  Bishop's 


TRUE  HEROISM. 


149 


ton,  and  his  family,  who  had  just  arrived 
from  CalifoiTiia,  where  he  had  just  been  or- 
dained. The  youngest  missionary  in  this 
group  was  only  six  weeks  old.  Here  was 
Brother  Withey  and  wife  and  four  children, 
also  Dr.  Levi  Johnson  and  Delia  Reese,  of 
the  Society  of  Friends.  Hex'e  was  Miss  Dr. 
Myers,  of  the  Boston  University,  who  was 
willing,  with  the  rest,  to  tramp  a  thousand 
miles  into  the  wilds  of  Africa.  Indeed  the 
sjoirit  of  martyrdom  possessed  this  whole 
company  ;  they  were  all  willing  to  lay  down 
their  lives  for  Christ.  Indeed  they  were  in- 
spired of  the  Holy  Ghost  to  make  this  sacri- 
fice, and  of  course  God  blessed  the  offering 
and  sent  down  upon  them  the  baptismal  fire. 
Especially  on  the  last  night  of  the  meeting 
the  church  was  crowded  and  the  meeting 
continued  till  near  the  midnight  hour.  Hun- 
dreds were  thrilled  in  hearing  the  testimonies 
of  this  heroic  company.  After  a  few  hours' 
rest  they  met  the  next  morning  upon  the 
wharf.  It  was  the  bitter  cold  morning  of  the 
twenty-second  of  January,  1885,  but  their 
hearts  were  all  aglow  with  heavenly  love. 

The  following  letter  is  so  complete  and 
comprehensive  that  I  make  room  for  it,  as  it 


150  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


is  the  testimony  of  an  eye  witness  who  is  a 
noted  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church :—  ' 

'  At  9  o'clock  upon  a  cold  winter  morning 
twenty-nine  men  and  women,  with  sixteen  chil- 
dren, embarked  upon  the  City  of  Montreal  with 
their  glad  faces  set  toward  Congo-land.  It  was 
the  largest  company  of  new  missionaries  that  ever 
sailed  at  any  one  time  from  American  or  English 
shores  within  the  knowledge  of  the  writer.  It 
sliould  form  an  epoch  in  the  history  of  missions. 
They  represented  many  different  States  and  di- 
verse callings.  Preachers,  evangelists,  teachers, 
physicians,  printers,  farmers,  carpenters,  stenog- 
raphers, were  of  the  number.  They  go  out  under 
the  leadersbip  of  Rishop  Taylor.  After  three 
days  in  Liveri)ooI  they  depart  for  Loando,  on  the 
west  coast  of  Africa,  where  the  leaders  of  the  ex- 
pedition have  made  preparation  for  their  arrival 
and  for  their  further  journey,  which  includes 
one  thousand  miles  on  foot.  They  were  a  happy, 
devoted,  determined  band.  It  was  a  precious 
privilege  to  take  them  by  the  hand,  look  into 
their  noble  faces,  and  to  hear  their  cheering 
^v'ords.  Their  weapons  were  both  carnal  and 
spiritual.  But  the  rifles  and  shot-guns  were  for 
game  in  their  self-support,  and  tlie  five  thousand 
Bibles  to  make  captive  the  hearts  of  men  for  the 


FOR  Africa's  salvation.  151 


Lord  Jesus.  Cloth  and  various  other  articles  for 
traflic,  a  printing-press,  blankets,  etc.,  consti- 
tuted their  baggage.  The  youngest  outgoing 
missionary  the  writer  ever  beheld  was  the  six- 
weeks  old  baby. 

It  was  one  of  six,  all  under  fourteen  years  of 
age.  Mr.  Taylor,  son  of  the  Bishop,  was  ac- 
companied by  Mrs.  Taylor  and  four  children. 
They  desire  to  show  to  the  natives  of  interior 
Africa  a  Christian  household.  God  grant  they 
may  arrive  at  their  destination  in  unbroken  num- 
bers. The  entire  company  was  photographed  on 
deck.  Many  friends  came  to  bid  them  God- 
speed. There  were  the  usual  tender  farewells 
and  tears  —  the  sorrow  seeming  to  belong  to 
those  who  were  left  behind,  the  joy  to  those  who 
departed.  The  final  separation  came.  As  the 
bitter  north  wind  blew,  and  the  steamer  crushed 
through  the  ice,  the  parted  company,  on  shore 
and  on  vessel,  united  in  singing  the  "  Sweet  Bye 
and  Bye,"  and  "  Praise  God,  from  whom  all 
blessings  flow,"  and  amid  the  waving  of  hand- 
kerchiefs and  the  shouts  of  adieus  the  dear  ones 
were  lost  to  view.  And  the  readers  of  these 
simple  words  that  are  written  with  wet  eyes  will 
lift  up  a  prayer  that  the  good  God  of  heaven  will 
preserve  these  men  and  women  and  their  little 
ones  oa  the  stormy  deck,  on  the  long  march,  and 
in  their  future  home  in  Congo-land. 

Among  the  names  are  those  of  the  Rev.  C.  L. 


152  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


Davenport,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Withey,  H.  C.  M'Kin- 
ley,  Louis  Johnson,  Charles  M.  M'Lean,  Charles 
W.  Gordon,  Miss  Delia  Reese,  Charles  L.  Miller, 
C.  A.  Ratcliff,  H.  M.  WiUis,  Charles  G.  Rudolph, 
W.  H.  Meade  and  wife,  S.  O.  Meade  and  wife, 
F.  B.  Northam,  Dr.  Mary  R.  Meyers,  L.  D. 
Johnson,  George  B.  Mackey,  Mr.  and  Mi-s.  Tay- 
lor. 

They  go  upon  the  greatest  missionary  enter- 
prise which  the  world  of  to-day  presents  — 
grander  than  any  that  can  come  after  on  the 
earth's  wide  surface. 

Congo-land  is  sacred  ground.  Missionary 
graves  are  already  there.  The  sainted  James 
Telford  leads  the  list,  one  of  the  countless  men 
prepared  for  the  Master  by  Mr.  Moody.  At  a 
farewell  meeting  in  London,  Telford  exclaimed : 
"  I  go  gladly  on  this  mission,  and  shall  rejoice  if 
only  I  may  give  my  body  as  one  of  the  stones  to 
pave  the  road  into  interior  Africa,  and  my  blood 
to  cement  the  stones  together,  so  that  oth- 
ers may  pass  over  into  Congo-land."  Within  six 
months  the  unconscious  prophecy  was  fulfilled, 
and  the  peaceful,  joyous,  dying  words  were: 
"  Tell  —  my  —  dear  —  mother  —  I  am  —  going 
home." 

May  the  sorrowing  souls  who  have  given  their 
dear  ones  to  this  far-off  land  be  consoled  with 
the  reflection  that  the  all-loving  Father  and  the 


CHRISTIAN  COLONIES.  153 


heaven-home  are  as  near  to  Congo-land  as  to 
London  or  New  York." 

Gideon  Dkaper. 

For  many  years  I  have  felt  that  if  the  heathen 
world  was  ever  to  be  taken  for  Christ,  we 
must  move  out  among  them  in  Christian  col- 
onies, large  enough  to  make  an  impression 
upon  them ;  but  little  thought  that  I  should 
live  to  see  it.  I  am  glad  also  that  a  number 
of  whole  families  have  gone  over,  so  that 
they  can  show  the  heathen  how  to  train  their 
families.  These  Christian  children  will  be  a 
band  of  missionaries  if  they  live,  and  a  band 
of  angels  if  they  die.  I  rejoice  that  the  par- 
ents refused  to  leave  them  behind.  Let  them 
live  and  die  together. 

Just  before  sailing  Miss  Myers  heard  of 
the  death  of  her  father,  but  she  would  not 
stay;  amid  blinding  tears  she  bade  adieu  to 
her  native  home.  Indeed,  many  of  them 
had  to  tear  themselves  away  from  friends 
that  were  dear  as  their  lives  ;  but  they  loved 
Christ  dearer  than  life.  Dr.  A.  Lowrey 
gives  the  following  interesting  account : — 

"  The  composition  of  this  group  of  missiona- 
ries seemed  to  us  singularly  complete  and  well- 


154  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


proportioned  —  one  or  more  thoroughly  trained 
financiers,  two  physicians  (one  male  and  one 
female) ,  two  or  more  experienced  school  teach- 
ers, mechanics,  farmers,  trained  musicians,  vocal 
and  instrumental,  some  highly  educated,  some 
not,  but  all  intelligent,  some  gifted  evangelists, 
some  women  like  Priscilla  able  to  teach  ApoUos 
the  way  of  the  Lord  more  perfectly,  and  others 
like  Lydia  adapted  to  entertain  the  apostles 
Two  of  the  company  were  Friend  Quakers  — 
Delia  Reese  and  Levi  D.  Johnson,  M.  D.  A  pe- 
culiar interest  clustered  around  these  persons, 
as  they  were  the  first-fruits  of  the  modern  mis- 
sionary revival  among  the  Friends.  Accordingly, 
David  Updegraff,  of  Ohio,  and  Elizabeth  Far- 
num,  of  Philadelphia,  both  persons  of  great 
prominence  among  the  Friends,  were  there  with 
beaming  faces  to  see  them  set  sail,  and  say  to 
them  so  sweetly,  '  Levi,  I  bid  thee  farewell ; ' 
and  then  kissing  Delia  Reese  and  saying,  '  Delia, 
1  bid  thee  farewell.' 

We  were  especially  interested  in  Elizabeth 
Farnum.  She  has  long  been  a  preacher  among 
the  Friends,  and  is  now  quite  advanced  in  life. 
The  vessel  was  advertised  to  leave  at  nine 
o'clock.  The  morning  of  the  twenty-second  was 
intensely  cold ;  but  Elizabeth  was  there  —  not 
only  on  the  dock,  but  on  the  vessel  down  in  the 
cabin  with  a  heart  as  jubilant  as  a  girl  of  sixteen 
and  a  smile  sweet  as  that  of  an  angel.    She  was 


MISSIONARY  ZEAL. 


155 


the  last  to  leave  when  the  bell  rang,  and  the 
order  wns  given  to  go  ashore. 

The  time  of  parting  had  now  come.  It  was  a 
supreme  moment.  They  on  board  and  we  on 
shore  stood  face  to  face  in  the  severely  cr Id  air 
and  strong  wind.  The  missionaries  witt  full 
hearts  began  to  sing  the  favorite  old  hymn, — 

'  The  birds  without  barn  or  storphouse  are  fed, 
From  them  let  us  learn  to  trust  for  our  bread ; 
ni.s  saints,  what  is  fitting,  sliall  ne'er  be  denied, 
So  long  as  'tis  written,    The  Lord  will  provide ;" ' 

with  the  stimulating  chorus, 

'  Yes,  I  will  rejoice.' 

When  the  vessel  moved,  those  on  board  and 
those  on  shore  with  one  accord  struck  up  the 
plaintive  strain,  '  In  the  Sweet  Bye  and  Bye,' 
and  then  with  waving  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  in 
the  midst  of  blinding  tears,  we  bade  them,  and 
they  bade  us  a  long  and  loving  farewell." 

Tens  of  thousands  of  Christians  remem- 
bered them  in  their  pi'ayers,  and  then  Elder 
Brother  Jesus  was  very  near,  and  the  Com- 
forter, the  Holy  Ghost,  filled  their  souls. 

Go<l  and  the  good  people  of  America  not 
only  supplied  their  passage  money,  but  also 
funds  to  give  them  a  good  outfit.  Bishop 


156  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


Taylor  sent  word  to  his  treasurer,  Richard 
Grant,  that  the  people  of  England  would 
make  up  what  was  lacking ;  and  England  did 
nobly. 

So  that  this  party  not  only  took  with  tii?;n 
twenty-five  knapsacks  and  as  many  haver- 
sacks, and  twelve  rifles  and  as  many  sewing 
machines,  the  gift  of  E.  Remington  &  Sons, 
but  also  one  hundred  pounds  of  phonetic 
type,  and  many  other  essentials,  but  they 
took  also  provisions,  as  canned  meat  and 
other  necessaries  to  last  them  one  year. 

So  that  it  was  not  so  wild  and  fanatical  a 
project  as  some  seem  to  suppose.  The  fu- 
ture will  tell.  God  will  make  known  his 
good  pleasure,  and  the  ends  of  the  earth 
shall  be  converted  to  Christ,  and 

'  His  kingdom  stretch  from  shore  to  shore, 
Till  moons  shall  wax  and  wane  no  moi-e.' 

The  following  letter  will  be  read  with 
interest  and  profit : — 

Steamer  City  of  Montreal,  January  31. 

Dear  ,  The  blessed  Spirit  is  with  us, 

and  has  wonderfully  sustained  and  kept  us  — 
soul  and  body.  We  had  a  hard  stoi'in.  This 
ship  has  made  108  trips,  and  the  sailors  say  they 


SERVICES  ON  THE  SEA.  157 


never  saw  such  a  storm  before.  Had  not  God 
stayed  the  waves,  we  should  all  have  been 
drowned  ;  but  He  held  them  in  control. 

We  have  had  good  meetings  in  the  cabin,  and 
there  have  been  several  conversions  among  the 
sailors  and  steerage  passengers.  One  night,  I 
think  one  hundred  rose  to  their  feet,  signifying 
that  they  wanted  to  go  with  us  to  glory.  How 
eagerly  they  listened  to  the  story  of  Jesus  !  God 
bless  and  save  them  !    I  love  their  souls. 

I  find  it  sweet  to  trust  in  Jesus.  How  glad  I 
have  been  that  I  had  the  witness  in  my  heart  to 
my  salvation,  and  that  the  blood  cleansed  me 
from  all  sin,  and  I  was  ready  to  meet  God.  If 
we  would  have  peace  in  our  hearts  in  the  time  of 
trouble,  we  must  secure  it  when  there  is  calm. 
Glory  to  His  name  for  the  precious  blood  that 
has  cleansed  me  fx'om  all  sin  and  made  one  so 
vile  as  I  as  white  as  snow.  He  has  taken  away 
the  fear  of  death,  and  all  worry  and  fretfuiness 
aud  impatieuce,  and  given  ine  His  sweet  Spirit. 
He  is  ever  holding  this  out  to  a  dying  world, 
and  whosoever  will,  may  take  the  great  salva- 
tion. We  must  yield  ourselves  to  Him  —  body, 
soul  and  spirit,— and  then  the  Holy  Ghost  re- 
veals what  the  dear  Saviour  is  to  us, —  a  perfect 
salvation,  a  perfect  redemption,  and  perfect  free- 
dom fiom  all  sin. 

Yours  in  Jesus, 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Mead. 


158  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


S.  S.  City  of  Montkeal,  Jan.  30,  1885. 
Dear  Bro.,  —  Everything  has  been  in  our  favor 
thus  far.  Praise  the  Lord !  We  had  an  acci- 
deut  Wednesday  morning,  but  the  Lord  sustained 
us.  On  account  of  the  heavy  gale  blowing 
Tuesday  afternoon  and  night,  the  engineer  slack- 
ened his  power  in  the  engines,  because  the  wind 
was  carrying  us  along  so  nicel}' ;  but  it  was 
blowing  so  hard  that  it  sent  the  surging  sea  over 
the  stern  with  such  volume  and  terrific  force, 
that  it  crushed  the  panels  of  the  cabin-door,  cov- 
ering the  stairway  leading  to  the  rooms  below. 
The  water  entered  almost  every  room,  especially 
Bro.  Taylor's.  Some  one  shouted  "  All  hands 
forward ! "  I  heard  the  shout  and  thought  the 
side  of  the  vessel  was  crushed  in.  Everyone 
was  cool  and  deliberate.  None  of  us  screamed, 
nor  were  any  of  us  frightened.  About  half  a 
dozen  of  us  set  to  work  dipping  the  water  out  of 
the  rooms  with  pails,  tin  boxes,  etc.,  while  the 
seamen  covered  the  exposed  places  with  canvas. 

The  weather  was  quite  warm,  and  for  that 
reason  no  one  suffered  very  much  on  account  of 
the  accident.  A  wave  snapped  both  stanchions 
(iron,  six  inches  thick),  which  hold  the  life-boat ; 
another  swept  over  the  deck  and  washed  the 
boatswain  overboard  ;  but  while  passing  over  he 
took  hold,  and  was  saved.  Two  of  his  ribs  were 
crushed,  and  he  is  lying  ill ;  but  will  recover. 
Mrs.  Withey  has  been  very  sick,  and  is  now 


OCEAN  PASSAGE. 


159 


very  weak.  The  whole  familj'  have  been  very 
sick,  but  have  almost  recovered.  Bro.  Taylor's 
second  youngest  child  was  very  sick,  but  is  well 
now.  Bro.  McKinley  is  in  the  worst  condition 
of  all.  Mrs.  Willis  is  very  feeble.  The  chil- 
dren suffered  least  of  any  from  sea-sickness. 
If  anyone  says  that  children  are  a  burden, 
tell  them  that  the  children  have  been  the  cause 
of  less  trouble  than  the  grown  ones.  "Sulfer 
little  children  to  come  unto  Me,  "  saith  the  Lord. 

I  have  been  well,  and  enjoyed  the  voyage 
very  much,  especially  the  storm. 

Will  write  more  when  I  reach  Loando,  if  pos- 
sible. I  hope  you  will  remember  me  in  your 
prayers.    I  remain, 

Your  brother  in  Christ, 

C.  G.  Randolph. 

LIVEKPOOL,  Eng.,  Feb.  3,  1885. 

Dear  Bro.  Lowrey, —  Our  voyage  on  the  City 
of  Montreal  was  somewhat  an  eventful  one,  and 
was  completed  in  a  little  less  than  eleven  days, 
—  leaving  New  York  on  Thursday,  January  22, 
at  9  A.  M.,  and  reaching  Liverpool  at  three  o'clock 
on  Sunday  morning,  February  1.  At  the  begin- 
ning we  organized  for  the  voyage,  electing  Bro- 
ther A.  E.  Withey,  President,  and  Dr.  Levi 
Johnson,  Secretary.  On  the  first  day,  before 
night,  many  of  the  party  became  sea-sick ; 
others  held  out  well  until  the  second  day,  when 


160  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


very  few  appeared  at  the  table.  Names  of  those 
who  appeared  at  every  meal  during  the  voyage, 
so  far  as  I  could  see,  were  Bros.  Willis,  McLean, 
Ross  Taylor,  Dodson  and  Sister  Reese.  Others 
were  slightly  sick,  and  staved  awa}'  occasionally  ; 
but  before  the  end  of  the  trip,  most  all  appeared 
but  Bros.  Davenport,  Mackey  and  McKinley, 
the  latter  of  whom  is  so  disabled  by  continual 
prostration  that  he  will  have  to  remain  in  Eng- 
land for  a  time. 

We  apppointed  prayer-service  and  preaching 
three  times  daily,  preaching  at  2.30  p.  m.,  and 
prayer-service  at  6.30  a.  m.,  and  7  o'clock 
p.  M.  The  prayer-services  were  kept  up  con- 
stantly, but  on  account  of  sickness  the  afternoon 
service  was  not  held  some  days. 

On  the  first  Sabbath,  Bros.  Gordon  and  Dod- 
son were  appointed  to  call-  on  the  captain  and 
ascertain  if  he  intended  to  hold  services  on 
board  as  was  advertised.  The  captain  replied 
that  he  had  discontinued  it,  whereupon  we  asked 
the  privilege  of  holding  services  in  the  saloon 
and  inviting  the  ship's  crew  and  steerage  pas- 
sengers, which  was  granted,  but  he  refused  to 
allow  us  on  any  condition  to  go  into  the  steerage 
apartment  and  preach,  fearing  I'iot,  there  being 
many  Catholics  there.  We  held  our  meetings  in 
the  saloon  as  usual,  and  from  that  time  continued 
preaching  and  prayer-service  in  the  evening,  at 
which  several  were  converted,  and  during  their 


A  DIVIDE  CURE, 


161 


progress  one  professed  santification, — a  very 
fine  young  Irishman  from  Dublin,  withi  whom 
our  party  were  very  much  impressed.  He 
seemed  a  young  man  of  great  promise,  his  ap- 
pearance and  bearing  being  very  attractive. 

A  very  interesting  occurrence  during  the  voy- 
age was  the  restoration  of  Bro.  Ross  Taylor's 
little  boy  Artie,  from  brain-fever,  without  the 
use  of  medicines.  Miss  Dr.  Meyers  and  Dr. 
Johnson  of  the  party,  and  the  ship's  surgeon, 
pronounced  the  child  critically  ill,  and  summed 
up  its  case  in  the  expression:  "one  chance  in 
two  for  life  even  on  land."  The  mother  and 
father  believing  in  healing  of  the  body  of  sick- 
ness in  answer  to  prayer  of  faith,  hesitated  as  to 
what  course  to  pursue.  They  went  with  earnest 
prayer,  and  said  they  felt  assured  that  there 
should  no  medicines  be  used.  The  ship's  sur- 
geon and  purser  sent  for  Brother  Taylor,  and 
told  him  he  must  have  the  child  regularly  treated  ; 
if  not,  and  it  died,  then  he  would  have  him  ar- 
rested in  England  for  murder.  To  this  Brother 
Taylor  replied,  he  had  not  been  accustomed  to 
having  anyone  interfere  with  his  family,  and  he 
did  not  propose  to  have.  He  preferred  trusting 
God,  rather  than  physicians  and  medicines. 

The  next  day  ho  took  the  child  in  his  arms  on 
deck,  and  showed  it  to  the  ship's  physician. 
He  said,  "  He  looks  all  right  now."  On  the  ver^ 
day  the  child  was  so  ill  and  the  doctors  had  pro- 


162  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


nounced  its  case  very  doubtful,  I  saw  the  chQd 
sit  at  the  dinner  table  on  his  father's  lap,  and 
drink  soup  out  of  a  spoon. 

Now  as  to  the  weather,  etc.  We  encountered 
a  severe  storm.  On  Tuesday,  the  27th,  it  began, 
and  continued  until  Wednesday  night,  the  wind 
blowing  a  gale  behind  us,  drove  the  high  waves 
after  us,  and  the  only  hope  was  to  get  asvay  from 
them  by  running  the  ship  at  her  best.  This  was 
done,  until  the  engineer  reported  to  the  captain 
that  the  wheel  was  so  often  out  of  water,  that 
its  revolutions  in  air  became  so  violent,  and  on 
being  plunged  into  the  water  again  was  so  sud- 
denly checked,  that  his  machinery  was  in  danger 
of  breaking.  The  captain  then  gave  instructions 
to  stop  or  slow  down,  which  being  done,  the  seas 
overtoolc  us.  One  coming  over  us  in  such 
weight  and  with  such  force  as  to  break  through 
the  companion-way  and  flood  the  saloon  and 
state-rooms  below  to  considerable  depth,  —  cal- 
ling us  out  of  our  state-rooms  to  anticipate  the 
very  near  appearance  of  death.  We  formed  a 
line  —  those  who  were  fortunate  to  be  well 
enough  —  and  handed  water  from  one  man  to 
another,  and  emptying  it  into  the  scuppers  of  the 
shi[)  until,  in  about  one  hour  and  a  half,  we  had 
the  water  reduced,  and,  in  the  meantime,  the 
danger  being  communicated  to  the  captain,  the 
sailors  came  and  mended  the  break  with  canvas, 
80  that  it  would  shed  the  greater  part  of  the 


PERILS  OF  THE  SEA. 


163 


seas,  which  now  only  occasionallj'  broke  over  ms. 
The  captain,  having  seen  the  two  dangers,  chose 
what  he  considered  the  least,  and  ordered  a  full 
head  of  steam,  which,  when  put  on,  kept  us  out 
of  the  danger  of  foundering  which  was  threaten- 
ing. There  was  consternation  among  some  of 
the  crew,  but  our  party  were  all  calm,  and 
worked  and  prayed  ;  though  at  first  we  thought, 
at  least  some  of  us,  that  we  were  about  to  be  lost, 
aud  receive  a  watery  grave. 

The  sailors  could  not  understand  why  it  was 
that  the  women  were  so  calm.  They  did  not 
scream  like  women  generally  do.  "We  ex- 
plained the  reason  why  women  can  be  calm  when 
seamen  are  frightened.  We  expect  to  leave 
Liverpool  to-morrow  morning,  by  the  Biaffra, 
for  Loando,  the  trip  extending  to  about  March 
21st,  on  account  of  the  stoppage  at  various 
ports. 

I  have  given  you  a  poor  letter,  but  it  is  the 
best  I  can  do  for  the  very  limked  time  I  have. 

Your  brother, 

W.  P.  DODSON. 

The  Lord  graciously  spared  the  lives  of 
this  company,  and  we  have  recorded  their 
own  story.  They  found  many  friends  in 
England,  and  aftei-  a  few  days'  rest,  they 
sailed  away  from  the  shores  of  Great  Britain 


1G4 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


for  Africa,  in  the  steamer  Biaffra ;  but 
Brother  M'Kinley  was  too  sick  to  sail  either 
to  Africa  or  to  America,  The  peace  of  God 
possessed  his  soul,  and  he  sweetly  resigned 
himself  to  the  will  of  God,  though,  no 
doubt,  it  was  one  of  the  greatest  crosses  of 
his  life. 

If  ever  his  satanic  majesty  hated  a  com- 
pany of  saints,  it  seems  to  me  he  hated  these 
missionaries,  and  if  it  had  been  in  his 
province  as  "the  prince  of  the  power  of  the 
air"  to  have  drowned  them  in  the  deepest 
sea,  I  have  no  doubt  he  would  have  gladly 
done  so. 

Mark  the  following  letter  from  Levi  D. 
Johnson,  M.  D.  The  letter  was  mailed  at 
Madeira  Island,  February  12,  where  the 
steamer  Biaffra  stopped  on  which  they  sailed 
from  Liverpool  to  Africa.    He  says  : — 

"I  had  a  blessed  experience  one  terrible 
stormy  night.  Would  that  I  could  paint  it  as  I 
saw  it.  Had  suffered  much  all  day,  and  was 
weary  with  the  tossing  of  the  ship.  During  the 
night  I  dreamed  I  was  here  under  just  my  pre- 
sent circumstances.  I  thought  a  storm  was 
r^^ging  on  the  deep  and  I  trying  to  keep  in  my 
bunk.    I  arose  and  looked  out  over  the  waste  of 


IN  PERFECT  PEACE. 


165 


troubled  waters  and  saw  the  Angel  of  Death 
flying  directly  toward  the  ship.  I  at  once  recog- 
nized him  and  in  a  few  moments  he  entered  my 
state-room  and  stood  in  front  of  me,  and  looking 
me  squarely  in  the  face  said,  'Who  are  you?' 
I  replied,  '  I  am  a  poor  worm  of  the  dust,  washed 
in  tlie  blood  of  Jesus.  My  name  is  Levi  D. 
Johnson  and  I  am  now  on  my  way  from  Amer« 
ica  to  Africa  to  carry  the  good  news  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  dark  benighted  hearts.' 
For  an  instant  he  looked  at  me  intensely,  then 
said  as  he  hastened  away,  'I  could  not  drown 
you  if  I  would.'  Instantly  I  awoke  and  a  calm 
sense  of  absolute  safety  filled  my  whole  being. 
How  good  our  Father  is  to  give  us  these  man- 
ifestations of  His  love  and  pity.  Bless  His 
name.    I  do  love  Him.    .    .  ." 

Rev.  A.  E.  Withey,  one  of  Bishop  Taylor's 
missionaries,  writes  from  Funchall,  Madeira 
Islands,  February  12  : — "Here  we  are  ashore  in 
this  Paradise  of  the  Lord.  It  seems  like  a 
dream  to  be  here.  We  were  met  by  the  agent 
of  tlie  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society,  who 
shows  us  much  kindness.  The  Bishop  told  him 
to  watch  for  us.  We  shall  overtake  the  Nubia 
at  Cape  Bonney  and  expect  to  meet  Bisliop 
Taylor  there.  All  are  in  good  spirits  aud  happy. 
All  are  well  except  Sister  Willis  aud  she  is 
improving.    Glory  be  to  God !    Our  next  stop- 


166  THE  BISHOP  or  AFUICA. 


ping  place  is  Sierra  Leone.  We  will  not  rejich 
Loaudo  until  March  22nd,  making  over  thirtj 
stops.  We  go  up  the  Congo  twelve  miles  to 
Banana,  the  outpost  of  the  Congo  missions.  We 
have  an  offer  from  a  trader  on  the  Congo  to 
support  two  men  a  year,  give  land  for  school, 
and  lend  fifty  negroes  a  day  to  help  build. 
Well,  bless  the  Lord  we  are  following  the  deai 
Holy  Spirit  and  He  is  such  a  Comforter.  Our 
danger  is  in  forgetting  Him.  As  long  as  we 
keep  filled  with  the  Holy  Spipit  all  goes  well. 
O  !  love  Divine,  how  sweet  Thou  art !  Glory  to 
God !  This  is  a  wonderful  gathering  together 
of  workers  from  all  points  of  the  compass. 
There  are  stalwart  characters  here,  who  will  be 
heard  from  if  we  keep  our  leader  the  Holy 
Ghost.    Love  to  all." 

Dr.  Johnson  wrote  the  following  letter 
from  Port  Funchal,  Madeira,  February  11th, 
as  follows  : — 

The  first  days  out  from  Liverpool  U)  this 
place  were  very  stormy.  The  ocean  was  not  so 
rough  as  on  the  passage  from  New  York  to 
England,  but  more  of  a  chopped  sea.  We 
skirted  the  Bay  of  Biscay  for  two  and  a  hall 
days.  This  is  always  noted  for  roughness. 
The  past  few  days  have  been  pleasant,  and  the 
eea  smooth,  with  the  exception  of  heavy,  dead 


DESCKIBING  THE  VOYAGE.  167 


swells.  We  are  now  lying  at  sea,  six  or  seven 
miles  from  the  Island  of  Madeira  ;  will  go  into 
l>ort  in  the  morning.  "We  take  on  coal,  water 
and  provisions  here ;  will  stop  five  or  six  hours. 
We  will  not  make  another  call  until  we  reach 
Sierra  Leone,  ^Y.  C.  Africa,  a  sail  of  eleven  or 
twelve  days  if  everything  is  prosperous.  From 
there  our  journey  will  be  slow  and  tedious, 
stopping  at  all  the  coast  towns.  It  will  take  us 
from  forty  to  forty-five  days  from  here  to  reach 
Loando. 

Feb.  12. — At  anchor.  The  grandest  sight  I 
ever  saw  in  natural  scenery.  The  island  is  of 
volcanic  formation.  Mountains  rise  5,000  to 
5,856  feet.  Mountain  sides  very  green,  and  the 
houses  all  tvhite,  which  give  the  island  a  beau- 
tiful appearance. 

The  remembrance  of  our  dear  Friends  in 
America  is  very  precious.  It  is  a  comfort, 
which  I  hardly  think  you  can  fully  appreciate,  to 
know  that  you  are  continually  holding  us  up 
before  a  throne  of  grace  with  strong  prayers  and 
crying  before  God. —  Gospel  Expositor. 

This  happy  band  of  faithful  workers 
an•i^'ed  safe  at  their  journey's  end  and  the 
American  Consul  telegraphed  the  fact  to  the 
Secretary  of  State  of  this  country,  and  it 
was  published  iu  the  Boston  Herald. 


168  THE  BISHOP  or  AFRICA. 


So  far  the  providence  of  God  has  smiled 
upon  this  grea^t  enterprise,  and  so  lie  will 
continue  to  do. 

Onu  of  the  Missionaries  in  this  band  sends 
the  following,  which  I  take  from  the  Chris- 
tian Standard: — 

Steamship  Biaffiia,  off  Senegambia,  170  Miles. 
Wednksdat,  Feb.  18th,  1885. 
"  We  are  now  facing  almost  east,  and  making 
our  way,  under  that  great  shed  of  country, 
bounded  by  Senegambia  and  Guinea ;  and  are 
soon  to  land  at  Sierra  Leone,  and  thence  go  to 
Cape  Palmas.  We  expect  to  take  the  Bishop  on 
board  at  Bonney,  in  about  two  weeks.  It  is  most 
beautiful  summer.  We  are  occupying  the  after 
deck  of  the  ship,  with  an  awning  over  us,  and 
bananas  hanging  above  our  heads  ;  people  sitting 
around  in  willow  chairs,  reading,  talking,  writing, 
or  gazing  off  at  sea,  or  sky ;  for  there  is  no  land 
to  look  at,  and  no  sign  of  ship,  or  vessel,  except 
at  long  intervals.  This  '  life  on  the  ocean 
wave,'  in  the  South  Atlantic,  with  precious  reli- 
gious meetings  three  times  a  day,  and  all  bodily 
comforts  attended  to,  furnishes  a  contrast  with 
the  '  perils  and  privations,'  which  at  the  start,  we 
learned,  might  be  expected.  Once  in  a  while,  I 
look  ahead,  but  all  in  perfect  trust.  I  look  home- 
ward, but  uot  as  '  Lot's  wife.'    We  will  be  in 


FREETOWN,  SIERRA  LEONE.  169 


Sien  a  Leone  to-morrow ;  I  suppose  we  will  not 
be  allowed  to  go  ashore.  A  party  of  Baptist 
missionaries  did  so,  some  months  ago,  and  some 
of  the  part}'  died  soon  after.  They  disregarded 
proper  jirecautions.  I  am  sorry  we  are  not  to 
stop  at  Monrovia.  I  could  spend  all  my  time  in 
writing  and  reading,  but  there  is  work,  even  here 
on  the  ship,  which  is  a  preparation  for  the  ex- 
periences ahead  ;  and  to  this  I  must  devote  my- 
sclf .  In  my  next  I  will  try  to  tell  you  of  our 
part}^  from  whom  I  receive  nothing  but  love  and 
kindness. 

Thursday  Morning,  Feb.  19. 
I  have  just  come  on  deck,  after  a  refreshing 
bath  of  sea  water  under  the  hose  ;  and  am  seated 
at  the  side  of  the  ship,  beholding  for  the  first 
time,  African  land.  We  are  at  Freetown,  Sierra 
Leone,  fast  coming  into  harbor.  The  sun  is 
just  appearing  over  the  port.  To  the  right,  hills 
arise,  which  grow  into  mountains,  beginning  in 
amber  and  ending  in  blue.  I  can  see  the  foliage, 
which  we  wonder  at  as  we  go  through  botanical 
gardens  at  liome.  Some  of  the  specimens  over- 
top the  rest,  and  look  like  giraf3fe  sentinels  look- 
ing out  to  sea.  I  have  just  caught  sight  of  the 
first  native,  in  a  canoe,  fishing  ;  black,  how  black  ! 
almost  naked.  They  say  they  can  equal  Satan 
quoting  scripture  ;  can  sing  psalms  and  h'ymns  ; 
but  are  the  biggest  thieves   along  the  coast. 


170  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA, 


The  captain  stopped  one  this  morning  going 
down  the  compauion-way,  with  one  of  the 
large  willow  chairs.  The  port  holes  are  all  kept 
closed  while  here.  What  lovely  scenes  appear 
while  we  look  through  the  glasses.  I  would  like 
to  go  ashore,  but  our  party  feels  God  has  not 
called  us  here,  and  the  Bishop  has  warned  us  of 
the  risk  of  health,  so  we  do  not  want  to  tempt 
God.  Wonderful  are  the  sights  I  have  seen,  and 
what  scenes  are  before  me  ;  but  day  by  day,  with 
sweet  surprise  my  heart  is  prepared.  I  love 
God  more,  I  love  my  country,  I  love  my  loved 
ones  at  home,  more  and  more  as  I  love  God's 
kingdom,  and  seek  it  first.  This  is  God's  plan, 
I've  been  told  often,  but  never  so  learned  it 
before."  Wm.  P.  Dodson. 

(The  following  dispatch  will  be  read  with 
devout  thankfulness,  by  all  who  watch  with 
prayerful  interest  the  advance  of  Bishop 
Taylor  and  his  missionaries  into  benighted 
Africa. — Ed.) 

"The  United  States  Consul  at  Sierra 
Leone,  under  date  of  February  25,  I'eports 
to  the  Dei)artmi!nt  of  State  the  arrival  there 
of  Dr.  William  Taylor,  the  American  Bishop 
for  Africa." — Peninsula  Methodv<t. 

"  William  Taylor  is  in  Africa.  Good  an<l 
great  men  have  gone  to  the  '  dark  continent.' 


LOVED  BT  ALL  CHRISTENDOM.  171 


But  it  is  safe  to  say  no  man  ever  went  to 
Africa  watched  with  deeper  interest,  loved 
more  intensely  by  holy  people,  more  lielieved 
in  by  Christians  generally  and  followed  with 
more  prayers  of  faith  than  William  Taylor. 
Is  there  another  man  in  Christendom  who 
could  find  forty  men  and  women  in  six  months 
to  go  with  him  on  the  terms  laid  down  in 
Matthew,  tenth  chapter?  We  believe  notone. 
God  bless  William  Taylor  is  the  prayer,  per- 
haps, of  one  million  devout  Christians  of 
various  denominations  in  America.  Yea, 
Australia,  South  Africa,  India,  the  West 
Indies  and  Europe  find  thousands  more 
doing  so.  January  27th  was  Brother  Tay- 
lor's date  for  Liberia.  After  settling  every- 
thing there  he  is  to  meet  his  heroic  band  at 
Loando,  west  coast  of  Africa,  from  which 
they  strike  for  tlie  interior." — India  Malho- 
dist  Watchman. 

The  blessing  of  God  still  attends  this  glo- 
rious missionary  work.  Mark  the  goodness 
of  God  in  the  following  letter  from  Bishop 
Taylor : — 

BONNEY,  East  Guinea,  Africa,  Feb.  2(itli,  18S5. 
Dear  Brother  Grants — I  think  I  wrote  you 
that  after  the  session  of  the  Liberia  Conference 


172  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


I  spent  a  Sabbath  at  Virginia,  seventeen  miles 
up  the  St.  Paul's  River,  from  Monrovia,  and 
preached  Monday  night  at  Muhlenburg,  the 
Lutheran  Mission,  Rev.  Mr.  Day.  On  Tuesday 
night  I  preached  again  in  Monrovia  and  baptized 
sixteen  of  our  new  converts — over  fifty  were 
converted  to  God  during  our  series  at  Monrovia. 
On  Saturday,  the  14th  inst.,  I  took  passage 
South  on  the  S.  S.  Nubia.  That  was  the  ship  on 
which  our  people  were  to  sail  from  Liverpool, 
February  4,  but  instead,  the  Nubia  sailed  from 
Liverpool  on  the  25th  of  January,  and  the  steam- 
ship Biaffra  sailed  with  our  people  February  4. 
I  learned  of  this  change,  which  was  in  our  favor 
in  ship  accommodation,  when  I  went  aboard  the 
Nubia. 

Sunday  morning  early  we  anchored  off  Grand 
Bassa,  eighty  miles  south  of  Monrovia,  and  re- 
mained there  till  Monday  evening.  On  that  Sab- 
baMi  I  preached  three  times,  had  an  ordination  of 
a  Deacon  in  tiic  morning  and  an  Elder  in  the  eve- 
ning, and  administered  the  sacrament  of  the 
Lord's  supper. 

On  Tuesday  morning  we  anchored  off  Sinoe, 
one  hundred  and  sixty  miles  south  of  Monrovia. 
During  the  four  hours  the  sliip  lay  at  anchor, 
though  it  took  nearly  an  hour  to  puU  to  the  shore 
and  the  same  time  for  returning,  I  preached  in 
our  Church  ashore,  administered  baptism,  and 
ordained  a  Deacon. 


TINTIKING  LABORS. 


173 


On  Wednesday  evening  I  left  the  Nuhia  at 
Cape  Palmas,  two  hundred  and  forty  miles  from 
Monrovia.  I  preached  in  our  Church  there  Wed- 
nesday night. 

On  Thursday,  at  10.30  a.  m.,  I  preached  again 
and  f  rdained  two  Deacons.  All  these  had  been 
elected  to  orders  at  previous  sessions  of  the  Confer- 
ence, but  could  not  attend  the  recent  session.  I 
preached  again  Thursday  night.  On  Friday 
noon  I  preached  at  Tubmantown,  four  miles  in- 
land, to  a  full  house.  I  preached  again  at  our 
Church  in  Cape  Palmas  on  Friday  night,  and 
tvyelve  seekers  came  forward  for  prayers.  On 
Saturday  I  visited  two  native  towns  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, and  preached  at  night  in  our  Church ; 
sixteen  seekers  forward  and  nine  saved.  These 
all  took  it  in  the  old  way  —  awful  screaming  and 
crying  for  pardon,  and  when  saved  shouted  all 
over  the  house,  and  all  through  the  streets  as 
they  went  home.  Next  day,  Sabbath  22d,  the 
Biaffra  was  due  at  Cape  Palmas,  but  we  hoped 
that  she  would  not  come  till  Monday,  and  we 
hoped  to  get  a  large  number  more  saved.  I  went 
to  a  love  feast  at  6.30  a.  m.,  but  in  half  an  hour 
a  messenger  came  and  announced  the  arrival  of 
our  ship  —  sharp  on  time.  I  hastened  to  my 
quarters  at  the  house  of  Rev.  C.  H.  Harmon, 
our  Presiding  Elder  for  Cape  Palmas  District, 
and  he  had  his  boat  and  Kroomen  ready,  and  we 
pulled  off  —  Bro.    Harmon,   Capt.   Yeates  (of 


174 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


Yeates,  Porterfield  &  Co.,  Wall  street,  New 
York)  aud  mauy  of  our  brethren  accompanied 
me  to  the  ship.  I  had  not  heard  anything  con- 
cerning my  dear  missionaries  since  I  sailed  from 
New  York  on  the  13th  of  December,  except  the 
nof.e  from  you  saying  that  Ross  and  family  had 
telegraphed  tliat  they  would  be  on  hand  —  which 
I  had  given  up  as  a  hopeless  case,  and  hence 
knew  not  whether  I  should  see  my  dear  Ross  and 
family  or  not.  So  as  we  pulled  out  the  first  mate 
of  the  Biaffra  hailed  me  aud  I  said,  "  Is  my  son 
on  board?  "  "  Yes,  he  and  his  family."  "  Are 
all  my  missionaries  alive  and  well?"  "Yes."  I 
bowed  my  head  aud  wept,  and  thanked  God.  So 
I  soon  went  up  the  ship's  ladder  and  had  a  joy- 
ful meeting  with  my  fellow-laborers.  Arch- 
deacon Hamilton,  Church  Missionary  Society, 
by  regular  order,  took  the  morning  service.  I 
preached  to  the  Kroomen  on  the  deck  at  3  p.  m., 
and  preached  to  my  people  aud  the  other  passen- 
gers at  8  p.  M. 

We  are  all  getting  on  nicely  except  Miss 
Reese,  the  Quakeress  from  Indiana.  She  was 
remarkably  well  on  the  City  of  Montreal,  but  the 
tropics  has  revived  an  old  complaint  of  hers, 
which  she  hoped  had  been  fully  cured,  and  now 
she  is  very  ill  —  not  African  fever  at  all,  but  an 
old  complaint  revived  by  a  change  of  climate  or 
from  some  other  cause.    She  is  a  grand  young 


MAHRTED  ON  BOARD  SHIP. 


175 


lady,  and  will  do  well  in  Africa,  if  the  Lord  will, 
or  better  in  hvaven. 

Brother  Clarence  L.  Davenport,  and  Miss 
]\fary  11.  Myers,  M.  D.,  were  married  aboard  the 
Biajfra,  yesterday,  at  3  p.  si.  I  performed  the 
ceremony,  assisted  by  Archdeacon  Hamilton. 
The  captain,  oflScers  and  all  hands  made  a  great 
occasion  —  cannon  fired  every  ten  minutes  for  an 
Lour,  presents  given,  etc. 

No  room  or  time  to  speak  of  accounts,  which 
Bro.  Withey  will  explain  to  you.  We  were  in- 
duced from  representations  in  England,  to  buy 
more  than  we  had  designed.  The  Lord  has  given 
the  funds  what  you  have  and  what  I  have  to 
square  all  —  but  I  will  need  all  I  have,  so  the 
Lord  will  help  you  to  pay  Fowler  Bros.  No  time 
to  read  this  over  —  mail  going.  I  am  perfectly 
well. 

William  Taylor. 


176  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


CHAPTER  Vm. 

BISHOP  TAYLOR  AS  AN  AUTHOR. 

Bishop  Taylor  has  a  wonderful  facility  for 
wi'iting  books.  He  has  written  quite  a 
library,  including  the  following:  "Seven 
Years'  Street  Preaching  in  San  Francisco," 
"The  Model  Preacher,"  "Election  of 
Grace,"  "Reconciliation,  or  How  to  be 
Saved,"  "Infancy  and  Manhood,"  "Letter 
to  a  Quaker  Friend  on  Baptism,"  "Chris- 
tian Adventures  in  South  Africa,"  "Four 
Years'  Campaign  in  India,"  "  South  Ameri- 
can Cousins,"  "California  Life  Illustrated," 
"Ten  Years'  Self-Supporting  Missions  in 
India." 

Take  the  folloAving  quotation  as  a  speci- 
men of  his  writings  on  the  ^pldlosojpliy  of 
temptation  as  it  relates  to  the  instincts,  appe- 
tites and  passions : — 


INSTINCTS,  APPETITES  AND  PASSIONS.  177 

"The  simple  instincts  are  not  under  the  direct 
control  of  the  will,  and  hence  not  essentially 
changed  by  the  work  of  the  Holy  Sauctiller  in 
the  heart.  The  appetites  and  passions  growing 
out  of  those  instincts,  do  come  within  the  power 
of  the  will,  and  hence  must  be  controlled  and 
kept  in  harmony  with  one  conscientious  stand- 
ard of  righteousness.  When  an  appeal  is  made 
by  Satan,  or  by  any  other  agency,  to  any 
instinct  of  my  nature,  the  first  conscious  instinc- 
tive emotion  is  not  a  moral  action,  for  it  is  out- 
side the  province  of  the  will.  The  appeal  is 
indeed  made  to  the  will,  through  the  persuasive 
medium  of  the  instinct ;  and  now  I  must  meet  it 
promptly  at  the  very  threshold  of  the  citadel  of 
my  moral  nature,  and  inquire  — First,  Is  it  right? 
If  I  conscientiously  settle  the  question  in  the 
affirmative,  then  I  thank  God  for  affording  me 
this  source  and  means  of  enjoyment.  Second, 
How  far  is  this  right? — for  lawful  gratifications 
may  be  carried  to  an  unlawful  extent,  and  hence 
become  sinful.  I  then  fix  the  line,  and  say  to 
appetite  or  passion,  So  far  shalt  thou  go  and 
no  further.  A  mistake  in  judgment  need  not 
effect  the  purity  of  the  heart ;  but  the  purity  of 
the  heart,  on  the  other  hand,  will  not  exempt  us 
from  the  legitimate  penalties  of  other  laws, 
other  than  the  moral  law  of  my  conscience, 
which  may  be  broken  through  that  mistake." 


178  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


I  give  the  reader  another  quotation  from 
Mr.  Taylor's  works  on 

god's  provision  of  salvation. 

Let  us  now  consider  God's  propitiatory  pro- 
vision for  reconciliation  with  man,  and  its 
application  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"What  the  law  could  not  do,  in  that  it  was 
weak  through  the  flesh  " —  the  failure  of  the  law 
was  not  through  any  defect  in  itself,  but  from 
the  sinful  weakness  of  the  flesh  —  "  God  sending 
his  own  Son  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh,  and 
for  sin," — by  a  sacrifice  for  sin — "condemned 
sin  in  the  flesh,  that  the  righteousness  of  the  law 
might  be  fulfilled  iu  us,  who  walk  not  after  the 
flesh,  but  after  the  Spirit."  Whatever  the  mys- 
tery involved  in  human  redemption  by  the  sacri- 
ficial offering  of  God's  own  Son,  and  however 
difficult  the  accomplishment  of  this  mighty  work, 
the  glorious  facts  are  clearly  revealed,  that  the 
mystery  was  solved,  and  the  work  done  by  Him 
"  whom  God  hath  set  forth  to  be  a  propitiation 
through  faith  in  his  blood,  to  declare  his  right- 
rousness  for  the  remission  of  sins  that  are  past, 
through  the  forbearance  of  God."  St.  John 
represents  this  mystery  of  mysteries  under  the 
type  of  a  sealed  book.  "  And  I  saw  a  strong 
angel  proclaiming  with  a  loud  voice,  Who  is 
worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to  loose  the  seals 


"WORTHY  THE  LAMB."  179 


thereof?  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor  in  earth, 
neither  under  the  earth  was  able  to  open  the 
book,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And  I  wept  much 
because  no  man  was  found  worthy  to  open  and 
to  read  the  book,  neither  to  look  thereon.  And 
one  of  the  elders" — an  old  citizen  of  heaven, 
full  of  seraphic  light,  and  cherubic  love  and  sym- 
pathy for  sinners — "  saith  unto  me,  weep  not: 
Behold  the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah  hath  pre- 
vailed to  open  the  book  and  to  loose  the  seven 
seals  thereof.  And  they  sang  a  new  song,  say- 
ing, Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book  and  to 
open  the  seals  thereof :  for  tliou  wast  slain,  and 
bast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood  out  of 
every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people,  and 
nation  ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  our  God,  kings 
and  priests." 

Tbere  are  no  analogies  in  nature  which  will 
furnish  us  with  a  perfect  illusti'ation  of  this 
Divine  work  of  human  redemption. 

A  familiar  historical  fact  in  the  life  of  one  of 
the  SeleucidjE,  Kings  of  Antioch,  will  imperfectly 
illustrate  the  governmental  necessity  of  an  atone- 
ment for  sin.  The  King's  son,  the  Prince  Royal, 
broke  a  law  of  the  realm,  the  penalty  of  which 
was  tliat  the  culprit's  eyes  should  be  put  out. 
The  King's  heart  3^earned  for  his  son.  He  could 
not  bear  to  see  him  groping  his  way  in  total  dark- 
ness, but  what  could  he  do?  If  he  had  said,  I 
can't  punish  my  sou,  I  must  remit  the  penalty, 


180  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFEICA. 

and  let  him  go  free,  his  subjects,  from  the  nobles 
down  to  the  meanest  slaves  would  have  said, 
"Fie!  Oh!  shame!  If  it  had  been  a  poor 
man,  he  would  have  put  out  his  eyes  instantly, 
but  he  puts  his  guilty  son  above  the  majesty  of 
law,  ordained  to  protect  the  lives  of  millions  of 
more  loyal  subjects."  But  the  just  King,  to 
maintain  the  majesty  of  law,  and  the  righteous 
administration  of  government,  and  yet  exercise 
mercy  to  his  rebellious  son,  submitted  to  have 
one  of  his  own  eyes  put  out,  and  thus  saved  one 
eye  of  his  son.  No  doubt  every  subject  of  his 
kingdom  said.  Ah,  what  a  dreadful  thing  is  sin 
against  the  Government !  What  a  righteous 
Sovereign  !  What  a  gracious  father  !  Our  lives 
and  property  are  safe  in  his  hands,  and  woe  be- 
tide the  wretch  that  dare  to  injure  either  in  vio- 
lation of  law ! 

If  a  regiment  of  his  subjects  had  volunteered 
to  give  up  their  eyes  to  save  the  Prince  from  the 
penalty  of  law,  the  King  could  not  have  accepted 
such  a  substitute,  and  if  he  had  done  so,  the  act 
so  far  from  vindicating  the  honor  and  authority 
of  his  laws,  would  have  outraged  every  principle 
of  justice,  for  society  had  claims  on  them  that  he 
could  not  cancel  nor  ignore  ;  but  the  King  in  his 
independent  sovereignty  could  consent  to  the  per- 
sonal humiliation  and  pain  of  losing  his  eye,  with- 
out the  infraction  of  any  principle  of  right,  and 


god's  independent  sovereigntt.  181 

thus  harmonize  the  administration  of  justice,  and 
the  exercise  of  mercy. 

If  any  man  had  been  "found  in  heaven,  or  in 
eai'th,"  who  could  have  "opened  the  book"  — 
solved  the  mystery  of  human  redemption,  neither 
he  nor  any  number  of  men  or  angels  volunteering 
to  die  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  could  in  justice 
have  been  accepted,  and  could  not  thereby  atone 
for  one  sin.  But  God,  the  Eternal  Word,  in  his 
uncreated,  independent  sovereignty,  could  consent 
to  "lay  aside  the  form  of  God,  and  take  upon 
him  the  form  of  a  servant,"  "be  found  in  fashion 
as  a  man,  become  obedient  unto  death,  even  the 
death  of  the  cross ; "  and  God,  the  Eternal 
Father,  could  consent  so  to  "commend  his  love 
toward  us,  in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners 
Christ  might  die  for  us."  It  is  the  independent 
sovereignty  and  Godhead  of  Jesus  that  gives 
saving  virtue  of  his  redeeming  work.  If  he  had 
been  a  mere  creature,  even  "the  first  and  most 
exalted  of  creatures,  he  could  not  have  redeemed" 
one  sinner  "from  the  curse  of  the  law." 
"Without  controversy,  great  is  the  mystery  of 
godliness.  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh,  justi- 
fied in  the  Spirit,  seen  of  angels,  preached  unto 
tlie  Gentiles,  believed  on  in  the  world,  received 
up  into  glory." 

We  have  not  time  to-day,  my  friend,  to  go  into 
an  elaborate  discussion  of  this  great  subject,  but 


182  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


I  wish  to  call  your  attentiou  to  a  few  practical 
facts  embraced  in  it. 

First,  the  dignity,  capacity,  and  immeasurable 
improvability  of  humanity.  We  need  no  better 
proof  or  illustration  of  it  than  is  furnished  by  the 
"  story  of  the  cross."  If,  for  example,  the. 
Prince  of  Wales,  instead  of  entering  into  con- 
nubial relations  with  the  beautiful  Alexandra, 
had  proposed  to  marry  some  beggar  girl  in  Lon- 
don, what  would  you  have  said  ?  Thirty  milUons 
of  stentorian  English  voices  would  have  re- 
sponded in  one  unanimous  shout,  which  would 
have  echoed  from  the  sunny  coasts  of  Australia 
to  the  frozen  mountains  of  Greenland,  "No!" 
Why  not?  Is  she  not  bone  of  his  bone,  and 
flesh  of  his  flesh?  "  Hath  not  God  made  of  one 
blood  all  nations  of  men  to  dwell  on  all  the  face 
of  the  earth  ?  "  Ah !  the  disparity  between  his 
royalty  and  her  beggary,  and  her  utter  unfitness 
to  share  his  royal  responsibilities  and  honors, 
preclude  the  possibility  of  such  a  union.  Yet 
such  was  God's  appreciation  of  man,  "  made  in 
hiB  own  image  and  after  his  own  likeness,"  that 
though  fallen  and  degraded,  as  we  have  seen,  he 
consented  to  an  indissoluble  union  of  God  the 
Eternal  Son  with  humanity,  more  intimate  and 
perfect  than  any  matrimonial  union  ever  was  or 
can  be.  When  the  banns  of  this  union  were 
published  in  the  palace  of  the  Great  King,  were 
there  any  objections  ?    Nay,  the  enraptured  angels 


"LYING  IN  A  MANGER."  183 


became  as  "  a  flame  of  fire  "  in  their  burning  zeal 
to  accompany  the  Divine  Bridegroom  on  his  mis- 
sion of  mercy,  as  "  ministering  spirits  to  the  heirs 
of  salvation."  "In  the  falli:ess  of  time"  when 
this  union  was  consummated,  a  vast  company  of 
angels  descended  to  announce  the  glad  tidings  to 
man.  One  mighty  angel  outflow  all  the  rest,  and 
as  he  ueared  the  rocky  hills  of  Bethlehem, "in  the 
dead  of  night  while  all  the  busy  multitude  of 
men  were  locked  in  sleep,  he  saw  "  the  Shep- 
herds "  abiding  in  the  field  keeping  watch  over 
their  flocks.  "And,  lo  !  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone 
round  about  them :  and  they  were  sore  afraid." 
No  doubt  they  were  brave  men,  and  could  hold 
their  own  with  the  wild  beasts,  and  the  Ishmael- 
itish  robbers,  but  now  they  were  taken  all  aback. 
"And  the  angel  said  unto  them,  Fear  not;  for, 
behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings  of  great  joy, 
which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you  is 
born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour, 
which  is  Christ  the  Lord."  The  poor  men  at 
once  saw  in  their  fancy  his  ensign,  royal  robes, 
and  train,  but  nay,  "This  shall  be  a  sign  unto 
you  :  ye  shall  find  the  babe  ^rrappod  in  swaddling 
clothes,  lying  in  a  manger."  Now  the  rest  of 
tliese  angelic  heralds  came  sweeping  down  in 
their  earthward  flight.  "And  suddenly  there 
was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
host,  praising  God  and  saying,  Glory  to  God  in 


184  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good-will  to 
men." 

Such,  therefore,  is  the  dignity,  the  intellectual 
and  moral  capacity,  and  immeasurable  improva- 
bility  of  man's  nature,  that  God  without  compro- 
mising his  own  "  glory,"  stoops  to  take  him  into 
his  bosom  in  the  bonds  of  an  eternal  union. 

If  man  had  been  a  mere  machine,  or  an  animal 
moved  only  by  instinct,  or  coercive  forces,  as  the 
horse  or  mule  "whose  mouth  must  be  held  in 
with  bit  and  bridle,"  all  the  Bible  teaching  about 
God's  moral  laws,  and  man's  accountability  ;  his 
obedience  or  disobedience,  his  fall  or  restoration, 
would  be  utterly  out  of  place.  And  the  idea  of 
God  the  eternal  Word  taking  upon  him  the  nature 
of  animals  —  horses,  kangaroos,  or  human  ani- 
mal !    The  very  conception  is  blasphemous  ! 

Nay,  my  friend,  the  being  created  in  "  the  image 
and  after  the  likeness  of  his  Creator,  is  endowed 
with  powers  of  intellect,  conscience,  affections, 
and  will,  exactly  suited  to  his  probationary  situ- 
ation and  ends  —  a  capacity  for  an  intelligent  ad- 
justment  and  loyal  maintenance  of  his  right 
relations  to  God  and  society,  and  an  honourable 
graduation  from  his  educational  course  on  earth 
to  the  fruition  of  eternal  blessedness  in  heaven. 

The  will,  in  syinmetrical  proportion  with  all 
the  functions  of  our  moral  constitution,  is  never- 
theless the  grand  distinguishing  characteristic  of 
it.    You  cannot  rationally  conceive  the  possi- 


man's  personal  moral  agency.  185 

bility  of  a  moral  nature,  or  moral  responsibility, 
virtue,  or  vice,  nor  hence  of  moral  excellence  sr 
enjoyment,  without  a  recognition  of  this  fact. 
The  will  is  the  hinge  on  which  all  moral  respon- 
sibility hangs.  This  fact  is  so  patent  to  the 
common  sense  of  mankind,  that  no  matter  what 
their  abstract  theorizing  on  the  subject  may  be, 
in  every  department  of  life,  in  all  matters  involv- 
ing moral  responsibility,  they  practically  ac- 
knowledge and  endorse  it,  and  can't  ignore  it 
without  a  repudiation  of  their  own  consciousness 
and  common  sense. 

Man's  personal  moral  agency !  Why,  every 
system  of  law  in  Chi'isteudom  is  based  on  a  rec- 
ognition of  the  fact ;  every  judicial  process  per- 
taining to  moral  action  is  conducted  on  a  recog- 
nition of  it ;  and  every  decision  of  every  criminal 
court  in  the  world  is  issued  on  a  recognition  of 
it.  A  single  example  may  suffice  to  illustrate 
this  great  fact. 

While  sojourning  in  the  house  of  an  Hon. 
M.L.C.  in  Tasmania,  I  opened  a  photographic 
album  on  the  centi-e  table,  and  turning  it  over  I 
called  the  attention  of  the  good  woman  of  the 
house  to  the  carte  de  visite  of  an  interesting- 
looking  face  of  a  young  man.  and  inquired, 
"Whom  docs  this   represent?"    She  replied, 

"Ah!  that  is  Mr.   ,  the  young  man  who 

killed  our  dear  son,  Henry  !  "  She  then  gave  me 
a  detailed  account  of  the  dreadful  tragedy  that 


186  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFIilCA. 


had  cast  a  withering  blight  over  her  household, 
and  brought  her  nearly  to  the  grave.  She  showed 
me  a  letter  of'  condolence  received  from  the 
"slaj-er"  of  her  sou,  and  proceeded  to  tell  me 
what  a  fine  young  man  he  was  —  the  young  man 
who  killed  her  son.  "  The  man-slayer  "  sent  his 
friend  to  his  account,  and  hopelessly  bereaved 
one  of  the  very  best  families  in  the  colony,  but 
had  not  even  forfeited  their  confidence  or  friend- 
ship. Why?  Simply  because  there  was  no  de- 
cree of  his  will  against  the  young  man's  life.  If 
it  had  been  in  evidence  that  his  will  had  taken 
action  against  his  life  he  would  have  been  hung 
by  the  neck  aud  buried  in  a  felon's  grave. 

Man's  moral  agency  !  All  the  appeals  of  God 
to  man,  his  commands,  his  threateniiigs,  his  re- 
monstrances, his  reasonings  and  pleadings,  his 
invitations  and  promises,  assume  this  as  an  un- 
questionable fact  of  man's  consciousness. 

The  Bible  doctrines  of  man's  fall,  his  condem- 
nation under  the  law,  his  corruption,  his  bondage 
to  Satan  as  a  child  of  disobedience,  the  grand 
work  of  redemption  by  Christ  for  his  recovery, 
his  acceptance  or  rejection  of  Christ-  with  all  the 
consequences  ensuing,  all  hinge  on  this  fact,  and 
can't  be  rationally  understood  or  explained  with- 
out it. 

This  very  fact  unlocks  the  mysterious  questions 
why  God's  perfected  provisions  of  mercy  in  Jesus, 
administered  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  have  not  re- 


god's  abhorrence  of  sen.  187 


Biiltod  iu  the  salvation  of  the  whole  world  long 
ago?  and  why  the  great  majority  of  adnlt  man" 
kind  are  in  rebellion  against  God  to-day? 

The  redemption  of  the  world  by  Christ,  the 
adeqnate  and  available  "  fountain  opened  for  sin 
and  uncleanliness,"  the  oflices  of  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  the  human  agencies  employed,  are  all  ad- 
justed to  the  functions  and  laws  of  man's  mental 
and  moral  constitution? 

It  is  no  part  of  Christ's  mission  to  men  to  de- 
stroy or  suspend  those  functions  and  laws. 

Tliey  will  stand  the  ordeal  of  the  final  judg- 
ment, and  its  eternal  issues  for  heaven  or  hell. 

The  second  fact  I  would  respectfully  submit  for 
your  consideration,  my  friend,  is  the  dreadful  an- 
tagonism of  sin  to  God's  nature  and  government. 
If  any  man  in  heaven  or  on  earth  could  have 
made  an  adequate  sacrificial  offering  for  sin,  and 
provision  for  man's  recovery,  surely  the  eternal 
Sou  of  God  would  not  have  stooped  to  do  the 
work  of  a  mere  man. 

If,  having  undertaken  the  work,  he  could  have 
negotiated  any  arrangement  adequate  to  these 
ends  without  laying  "  aside  the  form  of  God,  and 
taking  upon  him  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  be- 
coming obedient  unto  death,  even  the  death  of 
the  cross,"  surely  he  would  not  have  taken  such 
jiains  unnecessarily.  It  is  very  evident  that 
nothing  short  of  all  he  did  in  the  work  of  human 
redemption  would  have  accomplished  it,  and  on 


188         tih:  bishop  or  Africa. 


the  other  hand,  that  he  did  everything  necessary 
on  his  part  for  its^accom])lishinent. 

The  Holy  Scriptures,  all  the  way  through,  are 
explicit  in  ascribing  the  meritorious  work  of  our 
redemption  to  the  passion  and  death  of  Christ : 
and  the  triumphant  hosts  of  his  redeemed  ones  in 
glory,  M'ho  no  longer  "  see  through  a  glass 
darkly,"  but  see  the  Kiug  in  his  beauty,  thus 
address  him  in  a  song  that  wakes  all  the  melody 
of  heaven  — ' '  Thou  art  worthy  to  take  the  book, 
and  to  open  the  seals  thereof;  for  thou  wast 
slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by  thy  blood 
out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
and  nation ;  and  hast  made  us  unto  God,  kings 
and  priests."  A  kind  of  divine  telescope  was 
put  into  the  hands  of  St.  John,  in  Patmos,  and 
he  took,  through  the  vista  of  time,  the  range  of 
the  heavenly  hills,  and  put  his  eye  to  it,  and 
"  beheld  and  heard,"  tlie  grand  orchestra  of 
glory  singing  "  the  new  song  of  redemption." 
He  thought  he  would  number  them  by  squares  of 
ten  thousand  each,  and  commenced  as  they  came 
up  within  the  radius  of  his  field  of  vision,  and  says 
"  the  number  of  them  was  ten  thousand  times  ten 
thousand."  But  after  this  stupendous  calcula- 
tion, amounting  to  one  hundred  millions,  finding 
it  was  "  a  multitude  which  no  man  could  num- 
ber," he  gave  it  up,  by  simply  adding  —  "and 
thousands  of  thousands :  saying  with  a  loud 
voice,  '  Worthy  is  the  lamb  that  was  slain  to  re- 


"LIKE  UNTO  HIS  BRETHREN."  189 

coive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
sti-ength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessii.g  ;' " 
and  then  their  swelling  melody  swept  over  the 
battlements  of  heaven,  and  the  rising  millions 
of  the  dead  in  Chi-ist  catch  the  theme,  "And 
every  creature  which  is  in  heaven,  and  on  the 
earth,  and  under  the  earth,  and  such  as  are  in 
the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them,  heard  I  saying. 
Blessing  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  power,  be 
unto  him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto 
the  Lamb  for  ever  and  ever." 

But  while  the  fact  is  so  patent  in  earth  and 
heaven,  that  "  without  shedding  of  blood  is  no 
remission"  of  sin,  and  that  we  "  are  redeemed 
with  the  precious  blood  of  Christ,"  to  speculate 
on  the  relative  value  of  his  life  in  this  great  tran- 
saction, or  of  his  resurrection  and  mediation  be- 
fore the  throne  of  God,  is  not  wise.  "  Verily  he 
took  not  upon  him  the  nature  of  angels,  but  he 
took  on  him  the  seed  of  Abraham.  Wherefore, 
in  all  things  it  behoved  him  to  be  made  like  unto 
his  brethren,  that  he  might  be  a  merciful  and 
faithful  high  priest  in  things  pertaining  to  God, 
to  make  reconciliation  for  the  sins  of  the  people. 
For  in  that  he  himself  hath  suffered,  being 
tempted,  he  is  able  to  succour  them  that  are 
tempted."  He  "  was  delivered  for  our  offences, 
and  was  raised  again  for  our  justiflcation. 
Wherefore  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost 
all  that  come  unto  God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever 


190  THE  BISHOP  OF  AFKICA. 


liveth  to  make  intercession  for  them."  His  life, 
death,  resurrectioa,  ascension,  and  intercessions, 
are  therefore,  all  so  many  departments  of  his 
one  grand  work.  "  What  God  hath  joined  to- 
gether let  not  man  put  asunder." 

It  is  not  wise  either  to  trouble  ourselves  about 
the  mystery  iuvolved  in  all  this.  If  "  the  angels 
desire  to  look  into  these  things  ;"  and  if  no  "  man 
ing  heaven  or  earth  was  found  who  could  open  or 
read  the  book  of  this  mystery,"  why  should  we 
be  perplexed  if  we  can't  work  out  the  problem? 
It  is  enough  for  us  to  know  the  fact,  that  Jesus 
Christ  undertook  to  solve  the  mystery,  and  ac- 
complish the  work,  and  that  he  succeeded,  and 
cried  in  his  agony  on  the  cross,  "  It  is  finished." 

The  tliird  general  remark  I  wish  to  make  ou 
this  subject,  my  friend,  is  that  while  "  Christ 
hath  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  be- 
ing made  a  curse  for  us,"  he  did  not  abolish  the 
law,  nor  suspend  its  claims  on  our  obedience. 
Nor  did  he  pay  our  debt  in  any  sense  that  will 
exempt  us  from  the  necessity  of  seeking  by  "  re- 
pentance towards  God,  and  faith  in  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,"  righteousness  :md  true  lioliuess  of 
heart  and  life.  Christ  hatli  iiri'iniii'd  no  robes 
of  his  own  righteousness  with  wliifh  to  cover  up 
our  iniquity,  but  "gave  himself  for  us  that  he 
might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and  purify 
unto  himself  a  peculiar  people  zealous  of  good 
works."    "By  a  sacrifice  for  sin,"  he  "  con- 


A  SAVING  POWER. 


191 


demuecl  sia  in  the  flesh" — made  provision  for 
its  entii'e  separation  from  us  "as  far  as  the  east 
is  from  the  west,"  and  hence  passed  the  death- 
sentence  upon  it,  that  it  should  be  destroytd  out 
of  our  hearts  while  here  in  the  flesh,  and  "  that 
the  righteousness  of  the  law  might  be  fulfilled  in 
us."  Now,  whatever  may  be  the  grounds  of 
discussion  about  this  righteousness,  which  we 
have  here  no  occasion  to  state,  the  following 
facts  are  clear  : — 

I.  That  it  is  obtained  alone  through  what  God 
hath  done  by  "  sending  his  own  Son  in  the  like  - 
ness of  sinful  flesh,"  and  by  the  "  sacrifice  for 
sin  "  which  he  offered,  and  the  condemnation  of 
sin  in  our  flesh,  and  the  quickening  purifying 
gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  procured  by  Christ. 

II.  That  it  is  not  an  outward  robe  covering, 
yet  not  destroying  our  sins,  but  a  saving  power 
imparted  to  us,  and  a  purifying  work  of  the 
Spirit  "  fulfilled  in  us." 

III.  That  it  is  obtained  only  by  those  "who 
walk  after  the  Spirit,  and  not  after  the  flesh." 
WhcE  under  the  Spirit's  awakening  influence  we 
"  repent  and  believe  the  Gospel, we  are  "  justi- 
lied  freely  by  his  grace."  God,  through  the 
merits  and  mediation  of  Jesus,  pronounces  the 
word  of  pardon.  The  Holy  Spu-it  communicates 
this  glorious  fact  to  the  spirit  of  the  believing 
penitent,  removes  the  burden  of  guilt  from  his 
Boul,  erases  the  death-sentence  of  the  law  from 


192 


THE  BISHOP  OF  AFRICA. 


his  couscieace,  delivers  liim  "  from  the  power  of 
darkness,  and  translates  him  into  the  kingdom  of 
God's  dear  Son,"  and  "  sheds  the  love  of  God 
abroad  in  his  heart."  Such  a  one  is  "  sealed 
with  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise,  which  is  the 
earnest  of  our  inheritance  until  the  redemp- 
tion of  the  purchased  possession,"  the  final  con- 
summation of  his  great  salvation  —  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  body,  and  glorification  of  the  soul 
and  body  in  heaven. 

The  Spirit's  seal  is  a  divine  certificate  of  the 
fact  written  upon  "the  fleshy  tables  of  the 
heart,"  that  the  death  penalty  of  the  law  against 
him  is  cancelled,  that  his  sins  are  all  forgiven, 
that  he  is  brought  into  righteous  and  harmonious 
relations  with  the  moral  government  of  God. 

And  the  love  of  God,  thus  shed  abroad  in  his 
heart,  constitutes  the  principle  of  obedience, 
which  enables  him  cheerfully  to  keep  the  law  — 
not  as  the  ground  of  his  acceptance  with  God, 
but  the  fruit  of  the  new  life  he  has  received  by 
faith  in  Jesus.  By  faith  he  is  engrafted  "  into 
the  true  vine,  and  by  faith  he  abides  in  him," 
but  the  divine  sap  he  thus  continually  receives 
manifests  itself  appropriately  in  the  fruits  of 
righteousness. 


THE  END, 


As  Bishop  Taylor  depends  upon  the  sale 
of  his  l)ooks,  in  part  for  the  support  of 
his  family,  and  to  pay  his  traveling  expenses, 
and  as  he  is  now  laboring  in  a  country 
where  he  cannot  sell  his  J^ooks,  I  have 
decided  to  sell  them  at  this  office. 

They  may  l)e  olitained  at  the  tbllowing 
rates  : 

WORKS  OF  BISHOP  TAYLOR. 


I.- HISTORICAL  SET. 

1.  Christian  Adventures  in  Sonth  Africa  $1  50 

2.  Fonr  Years'  Campaign  in  India  1  25 

3.  Onr  South  American  Cousins  1  00 

4.  California  Life  Illustrated  1  00 

5.  Ten  Years  of  Self-Supporting  Missions  in  India  ....  1  25 

$6  00 

OB  TBE  SET  FOR  $5.00. 

II.-THEOLOCICAL  SET. 

6.  Seven  Years'  Street  Preaching  in  San  Prancisco  ■  ■  ■  .  $1  00 

7.  The  Model  Preacher  1  00 

8.  The  Election  of  Grace  •"   85 

9-  Reconciliation ;  or  How  to  be  Saved   75 

10.  Infancy  and  Manhood  of  Christian  Life   65 

11.  Letters  to  a  Qnaker  Friend  on  Baptism   60 

$4  85 

OR  THE  SET  FOR  $4.00. 

Paulina  Methods  of  Missionary  Work   25 

Send  your  Oraers  to  the 


HOLINESS  BOOK  CONCERN,  READING,  MASS. 


^  Date  Due 

^  ^  ri  Is 

JUN  15 

JUN  1 

5  1991 

